UC-NRLF 


B    ^    SIE    7D4 


FALCKNER 

IFVOU  r  FI&TSST  IN  GERMANY 

HERMIT  ON  niE  WISSA.HICKON 
MISSIONARY  ^N  IIIE  HUDSON 


FALCIvlN^ER. 


JUSTUS  FALCKNER 

/Ift^stic  anb  Scholar 

DEVOUT  PIETIST  IN  GERMANY 
HERMIT  ON  THE  WISSAHICKON 
MISSIONARY  ON  THE  HUDSON 


■■  ■"'■■■      A 

Bi' Centennial  Memorial 

OF   THE    First   Regular   Ordination   of   an   Orthodox   Pastor   in 

America,    done    November    24,    1703,    at    Gloria    Dei,   the 

Swedish  Lutheran  Church  at  Wicaco,  Philadelphia 

Compiled  from  Original  Documents,  Letters  and  Records  at  Home  and  Abroad 

BY 

3uUu0  J^ric^ricb  Sacbse,  Uitt.D. 

Member  American  Philosophical  Society — Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania — Pennsyl- 
vania-German  Society — American  Historical  Association — XHI 
International  Congress  of  Orientalists,  etc.,  etc. 


l^llflaticlplifa: 
PRINTED    FOR    THE    AUTHOR 

MDCCCCIII 


0 


Of  this  Letter  Press  Edition 
Five  Hundred  Copies  have  been  Printed 

No.    /^' 

February,  1903. 


copyright  1903 
By  Julius  F.  Sachse. 


All  rights  reserved. 


PRESS  OF 

THE  P4ew  ERA  PRINTING  COHPANV 

LANCASTER,   PA. 


flDublenbers  Colleoe, 

The  Institution  Bearing  the  Name  and  Perpetuating 
THE  Faith  of 

Tbcnrg  ^elcbfor  /IBublenberg 

The  Patriarch  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 

IN  America,  who  Cherished,  Revived  and  Propogated 

THE  Seed  cast  into  the  Virgin  soil  of  Pennsylvania 

AND   New  York  by 

2)ominie  Justus  jfalcSner 

Who  was  the   First  Lutheran  Minister  Ordained 
IN  North  America 

THIS 

/IDemocial  is  rcepcctfuU^s  OeMcatcd 


111 


f^53959 


PROLOGUE. 


®' 


iF  all  the  interesting  char- 
acters, prominent  in  the 
earl}'  history  of  the  settlement 
of  Pennsylvania,  none  are  more 
so  than  the  company  of  Ger- 
man Pietists,  Mj'stics  and^The- 
osophists,  who,  in  the  year  1694 
settled  on  the  shores  of  the 
romantic  Wissahickon,  a  tribu- 
tary to  the  Schuylkill,  and  now 
within  the  corporate  bounds  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia. 
The  stories  of  Magister  Kelpius,  Johan  Selig,  Daniel  Falck- 
ner,  the  heroic  Koster,  and  their  associates  have  served  as  a 
theme  for  manj'  writers.  The  subject  has  been  exhaustively 
treated  by  Rev.  T.  E.  Schmauk,  D.D.,  in  his  new  "  History 
of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania"  as  well  as  by  the 
present  writer  in  his  "  German  Pietists." 

No  incident,  however,  in  the  life  or  history  of  this  Mystic 
Community  surpasses  the  story  of  Justus  Falckner,  the 
younger  brother  of  Daniel  Falckner.  How  he  came  here 
with  his  brother  upon  his  I'eturn  to  America,  and  at  first 
withdrew  from  the  world  and  lived  as  a  recluse  or  hermit 
in  a  sheltered  dell  on  the  Wissahickon,  passing  his  time  in 

(X) 


Prolosrue. 


b  ' 


prayer,  study  and  silent  contemplation.  Thence  urged  by 
the  appeals  of  the  Hollandish  Lutherans  in  the  valley  of 
the  Hudson  who  were  in  dire  straits,  and  the  persuasion  of 
the  Swedish  pastors  on  the  Delaware,  finally  consented  to 
be  ordained  by  them  to  the  ministry,  according  to  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  ritual,  in  the  venerable  landmark  on  the 
Delaware,  "  Gloria  Dei,"  after  which  he  at  once  assumed 
charge  of  the  scattered  Lutherans  in  the  adjoining  Colonies, 
and  remained  a  faithful  shepherd  amongst  them  until  called 
to  join  the  church  triumphant. 

The  present  year  marks  the  two  hundredth  anniversary 
of  this  ordination,  and  it  is  but  meet  and  right  that  some 
special  notice  be  taken  of  this  episode,  and  that  the  story 
of  this  noble  missionary  should  be  more  widely  known  — 
how  he  labored  for  twenty  years  in  his  extended  field, 
reaching  from  Manhattan  to  Albany,  and  East  New  Jersey 
to  Long  Island,  until  at  last  he  succumbed  a  martyr  to  his 
zeal  and  duty. 

Upon  this  account  the  writer  presents  this  sketch  as  a 
Bi-Centennial  Memorial  to  that  devout  pioneer.  The  foun- 
dation of  this  storj-  is  my  chapter  on  Justus  Falckner  in 
the  "  German  Pietists."  Much  new  and  additional  material 
of  greatest  importance,  however,  is  presented  in  the  present 
publication  —  material  gathered  at  home  and  abroad  at  a 
great  cost  of  time  and  labor.  The  finding  of  the  letters 
from  the  Swedish  pastors  and  the  diploma  of  ordination 
signed  at  the  Old  Swedish  Church,  November  24,  1703, 
now  published  for  the  first  time,  however,  amply  repaid  the 
writer  for  his  outlay. 

This  memorial  is  issued  in  the  hope  that  the  history 
of  this  devout  pioneer  may  be  further  investigated  and 
studied,  and  that  the  name  of  Domine  Justus  Falckner, 
the  German  Pietist  of  the  Halle  School,  hermit  and  theos- 


Prologue.  3 

ophist  on  the  Wissahickon,  and  devout  pastor  and  mis- 
sionary in  New  York,  may  be  enrolled  in  its  proper  place 
in  the  historic  annals  of  our  state  and  country. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  the  College  van  Ouder- 
lingen  der  Evang.  Luthersche  Gemeente  te  Amsterdam, 
specially  to  Pastor  Van  Wijk,  Jr.,  Captain  A.  F.  P.  Car- 
tens  and  Herr  G.  D.  Martens  of  that  corporation,  also  to 
Rev.  J.  H.  Sieker,  pastor  of  St.  Matthew's  Ev.  Luth- 
eran Church  in  New  York,  who  is  a  direct  successor  in 
office  to  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  to  Rev.  Henry  Eyster 
Jacobs,  D.D.,  for  assistance  in  the  Latin  translations, 
to  the  Right  Reverend  Archbishop  of  Sweden,  at  Upsala, 
for  the  verification  of  the  diploma  of  ordination,  to  the  offi- 
cials of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  for  cour- 
tesies extended  to  the  writer,  and  to  William  C.  Lane,  Esq., 
librarian  of  Harvard  University,  for  title  page  of  Zenger 
pamphlet  and  Swedish  pastoral. 


CONTENTS. 

Prologue 


CHAPTER  I. 

Justus  Falckner. 
Genealogy  —  Arms  —  Earliest  Record  —  Halle  Uni- 
versitj' — Thomasius  and  Francke  —  Student  at  Halle 

—  Composes  Hymns,  "  Rise  Ye  Children  of  Salvation," 
"  If  Our  All  on  Him  We  Venture."  —  Candidat  Theo- 
logia  —  Leaves  Halle,  Journeys  to  Dutchy  of  Schles- 

wig  —  Dominie  Miihlen I3~23 

CHAPTER  II. 
Daniel  Falckner. 
Returns  to  Europe  —  Aug.  Her.  Francke,  Leader  of 
German  Pietists  on  Wissahickon.  —  Falckner's  Report 

—  German  Pietists  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia. — 
Philadelphian  Society.  —  Reception  at  Halle  —  Citizen 
and  Pilgrim  in  Pennsylvania — Answers  Questions  — 
Abstracts  Published  —  Political  Nature  of  Visit  —  Re- 
ports to  Benj.  Furley.  —  Frankfort  Company  Appoint 
Him  to  Supersede  Pastorius  —  At  Rotterdam  —  Lubeck 

—  Return  to  America 24-31 

CHAPTER  III. 
On  the  Wissahickon. 
Arrival  of  Daniel  and  Justus  Falckner  —  Bailiff  and 
Burgess — Justus  Retires  to  Hermit's  Cabin  —  Sends 
Missive  to  Dom  :  Muhlen.  in  Scheswig.  —  Returns  to 
Active  Life,  Attorney  for  Penn  and  Furley  —  Before 
Land  Commissioners  —  Spleen  of  Pastorius  —  Purity 
of  Character 32-37 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Falckner's  Missive  from  Germantown. 

Condition  of   the  Church  in  America  —  As  a  Her- 
mit —  Indians  —  Innumerable  Sects —  Qiiakers — Evan- 

(5) 


6  Contents. 

gelic,  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Churches  —  Swedes  and 
Their  Church  —  Germans  —  Attend  Swedish  Church  — 
Pastor  Rudman  Dehvers  German  Address  —  "Satur- 
nine Stingy  Qiiaker  Spirit  "  —  Appeal  for  an  Organ  for 
Gloria  Dei  —  Quotes  Luther  —  Asks  for  Intercession 
with  Sweden's  King.     Colophon 3S-48 

CHAPTER  V. 

Causes  Leading  to  the  Ordination  at  Wicacoa. 
Justus  Falckner's  Interest  in  Swedish  Church  — 
Dom.  Rudman  Called  to  New  York,  Assumes  Lutheran 
Charges.  —  Taken  Sick  with  Yellow  Fever  —  Returns 
to  Philadelphia  —  Sends  Call  to  Justus  Falckner  — 
Rudman  and  Biorck  Remove  Falckner's  Scruples" — 
Interesting  Correspondence  —  Call  Extended  from  New 
York,  Biorck's  Missive  —  Acceptance  of  the  Call     .     .       49-59 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Ordination  at  Gloria  Dei. 

A  Venerable  Landmark  —  Solemn  Occasion  —  His- 
toric Importance,  November  24,  1 703  —  Procession  — 
Candidate  Invocation  —  Rudman  as  Vice  Bishop  — 
Questions  and  Answers,  Apostolic  Succession  —  Sign- 
ing of  the  Ordination  Diploma 60-71 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Dominie  Falckner  in  New  York. 
Arrives  in  New  York  —  Accepts  the  Charge  —  Re- 
ports to  Amsterdam  —  Sends  Copy  of  Ordination  Di- 
ploma, Finding  of  this  Document,  Fascimile  —  An  Im- 
portant Historic  Document — Latin  Invocation  in  Church 
Book,  Troublesome  Times  —  His  Extended  Charges  — 
Calls  Church  Meeting  —  Appeals  for  Financial  Help  — 
Description  of  Church  —  First  Report  to  Amsterdam  — 

Needs  of  the  Congregation ']2-&o 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
Copy  of  the  Report  to  the  Amsterdam  Consistory.     .       S1-S4 


Contents.  7 

CHAPTER   IX. 

A  Rare  Bradford  Imprint. 

Lutheran  vs.  Calvinist,  A  Rare  Book  —  Justus  Falck- 
ner's  Fundamental  Instructions  —  Compendium  Doc- 
trinae  Anti-Calvinianum  —  Facsimile  of  First  Original 
Lutheran  Hymn  printed  in  America  —  Falckner's  Ex- 
tended Charges,  New  York  to  Albany,  New  Jersey 
to  Long  Island  —  Kocherthal  —  Biorck's  Account  of 
Justus  Falckner's  Ministrations.         S5-94 

CHAPTER  X. 
Dominie  Falcker's  Church  Records. 
Records  of  Old  Trinity  Church  —  How  Rescued  — 
Commenced  by  Dom.  Rudman,  Table  of  Contents  — 
Facsimile  —  Baptismal  Register  — -  Invocations  —  Com- 
municants —  Indian  Baptism  —  Exorcism  of  Satan  — 
Baptism  of  Negro  Slave  —  Rev.  John  Sharpe  —  Dom. 
Falckner's  Marriage,  Facsimile  of  Entry  —  Letter  of 
Thanks  to  Amsterdam,  Last  Entry  and  Death  of  Dom- 
inie Justus  Falckner  —  Widow  and  Children  —  His 
Character  —  Documentary  Evidence 95-111^ 

CHAPTER    XI. 
The  Van  Dieren  Controversy. 

Dom.  Falckner's  Experience  with  Van  Dieren,  Hes- 
selius'  Advice  to  Falckner  —  Berkenmeyer's  pamphlet  — 
Title  —  Falckner  Admonishes  his  People  Against  Van 
Dieren  —  Sybrand's  Offer  —  Johann  Michael  Schiitz  — 
Contradictory  Missive — Van  Dieren's  Attempts  to 
Preach,  Ejected  from  Pulpit  —  Description  of  Church 
—  Account  of  Services  —  Trials  of  the  Pastor  —  Tailor 
and  Preacher  —  Van  Dieren  and  his  Actions,  Alleged 
Ordination  by  Pastor  Gerard  Henckel  —  Opposition  of 
Swedish  Pastors 116-131 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Pastorai,  to  the  Hackensack  Congregation.  132-13S 


LIST   OF   PLATES. 


Falckner  arms   . frontispiece 

Tutors  of  Justus  Falckner facing  page    i6 


Magister  Kelpius • 

Typical  Hermit's  Cabin 

Falckner  Swamp  Lutheran  Church 

Gloria  Dei  (old  Swedes)  Wicacoa,  exterior 

"         "         "         "         interior,  organ  loft     .... 
"         "         "         "         tomb  of  Dom.  Rudman     .    . 

"         "         "         "  interior,  chancel 

"         "         "         "         ancient  Swedish  carvings 

Dominie  Eric  Tobias  Biorck 

New  York,  street  scene  in  1704 

"      Old  Dutch  Stadt  Huys 

"         "      Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  1729 

Certificate  of  ordination 

Old  Lutheran  Church  at  Amsterdam 

Swedish  Churches  on  the  Delaware,  Cranehook 

Church  of  163S 
"  "  "     "         "  Christina    .    .    . 

"  "  "     "         "  Penn's  Neck  .    . 

"  "  "     "         "  Racoon 

The  Vallev  of  Schoharie 


24 
32 
36 

44 

48 

52 
60 

64 
56 
72 
96 

79 

74-75 
82 

106 
112 
120 
136 

128 


(9) 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

ARMS. 

Falckner.   ...           13 

Halle 14 

Lubeck 23 

William  Penn        24 

Rostock 33 

Pastorius 36 

Schleswig 38 

Amsterdam         81 

Printer's  Guild       84 

New  York  (1686)  .....  92 

New  York  Colony iiS 

Holland 131 

Sweden 132 

AUTOGRAPHS. 

Sprogel,  John  H.  .    .    . 

Falckner,  Justus 

Falckner,  Daniel 

Furly,  Benjamin 

Kelpius,  Johannes 

Falckner,  Justus  and  Daniel  .   , 

Rudman,And 

Biorck,  Rev.  E.  T 

Gerhartt,  Henkell 

TITLE   PAGES   AND 
FACSIMILES. 


14 

25 
30 
30 

3.'; 

so 

.S7 

134 


Hvmn,  "Aiif  ihr  Christen 
Weyrauch's  Hiigel  .  .  . 
Curieuse  Nachricht,  1702 
Continuatio,  1704  .  .  . 
Missive  to  Muhlen  .  .  . 
Colophon  to  Missive  .  . 
Rudman's  entrv  in  churchhook 


19 
20 

28 

29 

40 

47 


PAGE. 

Rudman's  letter  to  Falckner.    .  53 

Rudman's  reply  to  Falckner  .    .  56 

Biorck  to  Falckner  ......  58 

Notice  to  Amsterdam 73 

Certificate  of  Ordination  .    .      74-75 

Falckner's  first  entry 76 

Falckner's  official  signature  .    .  77 

Grondlycke  Onderricht,  title   .  88 

Original  hymn .  89 

Quassaik  Church 91 

Dissertatio  Gradualis,  title    .    .  93 

Falckner's  Entry 97 

Baptismal  Record        99 

Section  of  Map,  1704 lOO 

Section  of  Map.  1740      ....  loi 

Communicant  Record     ....  103 

New  York  Paper  Money    ...  105 

Marriage  Entry 107 

Getrouwe  Wachter  Stem    ...  117 

EMBELLISHMENTS. 

Headpiece,  History       13 

Halle  Student i6 

Halle  University 15 

Halle  Lecture  Room 17 

Rostock,  View  of 22 

Headpiece,  Literature         ...  24 

Halle,  View  of 26 

Falckner  Colophon 31 

Headpiece,  Mysticism 32 

Minuet's  Monument 37 

Headpiece,  Dawn 38 

GloriaDei,  A.  D.  1800       ...  48 

Headpiece,  X.  P 49 

Seal  of  Solomon 49 


Illustrations. 


II 


PAGE. 

Tailpiece,  Light  and  Time  .    .  59 

Headpiece,  Faith 60 

Halle  Symbol 60 

Portrait,  Rev.  Collin 71 

Headpiece,  pilgrims 72 

Labor  and  hope 72 

Seal  of  New  York 77 

Seal  of  New  York  Congregation  78 

Gloria  Dei,  A.  D.  1700  ....  So 

Headpiece,  Dutch Si 

Headpiece,  Labor 85 


PAGE. 

Falckner  Seal 94 

Headpiece,  Manuscript   ....  95 

Ephrata  pilgrim 95 

Albany  Seal 102 

Portrait  Wm.  Vesey    ....  108 

Headpiece,  Controversy     ...  116 

Vignette      116 

Headpiece .  132 

Book  plate  London  Society   .  135 

Tailpiece,  finis 138 


Ube  Jfalckncc  Hrms  from  Seal  of 
Justus  yalcbncr. 


^' 


USTUS  FALCKNER, 

born  November  22, 
1672,  was  the  fourth 
son  of  Rev.  Daniel  Falck- 
ner,  the  Lutheran  pastor  at 
Langen-Reinsdorf  (former- 
ly known  as  Langen-Rhens- 
dorf  and  Langeramsdorf), 
near  Crimmitschau,  parish 
of  Zwickau,  situated  m  that 
part  of  Saxony  formerly 
known  as  the  Markgravate 
of  Meissen,  and  was  a  scion 
of  an  old  Lutheran  family.  His  ancestors  on  both  sides 
had  been  ordained  Lutheran  ministers. 

His  grandfather.  Christian  Falckner  (d.  November  5, 
1658),  as  well  as  his  son  Daniel  Falckner  (d.  April  7, 
1764)  father  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  were  both  pastors 
of  Langen-Reinsdorf.  The  latter  left  four  children,  viz : 
Paul  Christian,  born  February  2,  1662  ;  Daniel,  born  No- 
vember 25,  1666;  a  third  child  of  whom  the  writer  has 
found  no  record,  and  Justus,  the  subject  of  our  sketch.^ 


'For  the  history  of  Daniel  Falckner-vide  Dr.  Schmauk's  "Lutheran 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  163S-1S00,"  and  Sachse's  "  German  Pietists, 
1694-1708." 

(■3) 


H 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


All  the  sons  were  educated  with  the  same  object  in  view, 
and  were  eventually  ordained  to  the  holy  ministry. 

He  was  the  younger  brother  of  Daniel  Falckner,  a 
leader  among  the  German  Pietists,  who  came  to  America  in 

1694  with  Kelpius  and  Koster,  and  accompanied  him  upon 
his  return  to  Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1700,  and  together 
with  Johann  Jauert,  Arnold  Storch,  Johann  Heinrich  and 
Ludovic  Christian  Sprogel,  and  others,  reinforced  the  com- 
munity of  German  Pietists  who  had 
established  themselves  on  the  roman- 
tic banks  of  the  Wissahickon  a  short 
distance  from  Germantown. 

The  earliest  official  record  of  Jus- 
tus Falckner  known  to  the  present 
writer,  excepting  the  entry  of  his 
birth,  is  that  recorded  in  the  oldest 
register  of  the  venerable  university 
at  Halle  a.  S.  Germany,  which  bears  the  following  title 
and  date,  viz : 

"  Catalogus  de?-er  Studiosorum,  so  anf  hiesiger  FRIED- 
RICHS,  Universitdt,  immatriculiret  worden.    Nach  Ord- 
nung des  Alphabet's  Eingerichtct.    De  Anno  MDCXCHI." 
The  first  entry  upon  the  sixth  page  reads  : 
"  FALCKNER,  Justy,  Langeramsdorf,  Miss." 
"P.  R.  Thomasius,  1693,  20  Jan." 


o 


yustHS-  Tci/c-ytln.er' 


St  tide  lit  at  Halle. 


IS 


The  above  entry  shows  that  Justus  Falckner  was  one  of 
the  students  at  Leipzig  who  followed  Thomasius  ^  to  Halle 
after  the  latter's  expulsion  from  that  city. 


THE  UNrV'ERSITY  AT  HALLE,  A.D 


Just  how  long  the  student  remained  at  the  university  at 
Halle  is  not  known  to  the  writer.     There  is  ample  evi- 


2 Thomasius  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  German  philosophers  of 
his  time  ;  born  at  Leipsic^in  1665,  he  studied  .it  Frankfort  on  the  Oder,  and 
returning  to  Leipsic  in  1679  delivered  philosophical  lectures  there.  His 
freedom  of  thinking,  however,  raised  him  many  enemies,  and  he  was 
finally  obliged  to  leave  the  country.  He  went  to  Halle  in  1690,  where  he 
took  an  active  interest  in  establishing  the  university,  and  three  years  later 
became  a  professor  and  afterwards,  head  of  the  university.  Thomasius 
was  the  first  in  Germany  to  exert  his  influence  to  procure  the  abolition  of 
torture,  of  trials  for  witchcraft,  and  of  restraints  upon  freedom  of  thought. 
It  was  under  the  tutelage  of  this  great  man  that  Justus  Falckner  studied 
and  graduated. 


i6 


Dominic  Justus  Falclcner. 


dence,  however,  during  his  sojourn  there  that  he  was  in 
close  touch  witli  the  celebrated  German  Pietist,  August 
Herman   Francke,'  under  whom   he   studied  the   oriental 


QjiJlcadetniciLf  0fall£fhrts. 


A  STUDENT  AT  THE  HALLE  UNIVERSITY,    1698-170O. 

languages  at  the  universit)-,  and  who  was  then  one  of  the 
recognized  religious  leaders  in  Europe. 

'August  Herman  Francke,  German  Pietist,  theologian  and  philanthro- 
pist, was  born  at  Liibeck,  March  23,  1663.  Embracing  the  pictistical 
teachings  of  Spener,  he  began  to  lecture  on  the  practical  interpretation  of 


Within  the  Aula. 


17 


i8  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

The  devout  and  spiritual  trend  of  mind  of  the  young 
theological  student  is  best  shown  by  several  of  his  hymns, 
incorporated  at  the  time  by  Francke  in  his  revised  hymn- 
book  : 

"  Geistreiches  Gesang  Buck  "  Halle  i6gy. 

The  most  noted  of  these  hymns  is  the  one  commencing 
with  the  line : 

^^  AuJ !  ihr  Christen,  Christi glieder." 

This  is  found  on  page  430  of  the  original  edition.  This 
hymn  is  a  stirring,  vigorous  composition  of  eleven  stanzas 
of  six  lines  each.  It  was  set  to  the  melody  "  Meine  Hojff- 
nung  stehet  veste,"  and  was  well  calculated  to  raise  the 
religious  fervor  of  the  worshippers. 

Upon  a  manuscript  copy  of  this  hymn,  Falckner  notes 
two  references  to  the  scriptures  as  his  theme,  or  the  foun- 
dation of  its  composition,  viz.  : 

"  Finally  my  brethren,  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  His 
might"  (Eph.  vi.  lo). 

"  For  whatsoever  is  born  of  God,  overcometh  the  world,  and  is  the  vic- 
tory that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith  "  (i  John  v.  4). 

Originally  the  hymn  was  designated,  "An  encourage- 
ment to  conflict  in  the  Christian  warfare,"  it  was  retained 
by  Freylinghausen  in  the  make-up  of  his  Gesang  Buck  of 
1704,  but  in  subsequent  editions  it  was  relegated  to  the 

the  Bible,  and  met  with  so  much  success  that  he  was  attacked  on  all  sides, 
and  the  celebrated  Thomasius,  then  residing  at  Leipsic,  undertook  his  de- 
fence. '^  Successively  driven  from  Leipsic  and  Erfurth,  he  went  to  Halle  as 
orofessor  of  the  new  university,  at  first,  of  the  Oriental  languages,  and 
afterwards  of  theology.  Francke  was  personally  interested  in  the  band  of 
German  Pietists  who  settled  on  the  Wissahickon  under  Kelpius,  1694-170S. 
The  old  Trappe  Church  in  Pennsylvania  was  named  in  his  honor,  "  Z>«e 
Augustus  Kirche"  by  Rev.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  who  was  sent  to 
these  shores  in  1742  by  the  son,  Rev.  Gotthilf  August  Francke. 


As  an  Hymnist. 


19 


J 9?.  XWt\.  mcinc  ^off; 

OrUf,it)t  *il)Ci|'e"/  5()ii|li 
<li  i:bli(D(t;!  Di(  t^c  noc() 
bai^t  an  txm  ipaiipt;aufl 
n>a(^t  aufiermannt  (net)  mic^ 
t)er,tt)i()rn)er&et  tjingtraubt. 
©atan  btur  an  btn  *Str-eit 
€f)n(lo  iinb  fca*  €{)n|l{nl)cit. 

2.  Sluflfolgt  6l)rift0/  eurtm 
^<lbc,  trailer  feintifi  (larcfcii 
SIrm,  lijgt  ber  Sotan  gleid)  iii 
gclbe  mil  l)tin  gan^en  ^6nen= 
©(tfonrm :  ilnb  borf)  ber  nocf) 
t)ie(met)r/  bie  Da  {lii^  ftnt)  urn 
uns  l)er. 

?.gjiiraurc&ri(li5?liitqf!?.v 
fletmit  (Sebtt  unb  Sffiastfain: 
fcit,l)iefc^  macfeet  Jinocringer. 
unb  rjc^t  fnpfrt  5tricge^-?ciil; 
€l)riflj  SSli:t  gibt  un5  ^:j}?utl) 
iricbcr  ailt  Jcufclg^Srut. 
4-  5t)ri(li  fteert«(!reM^«s=5a&= 
nc,  fo  \>a.  it)ei§  iinb  roll)  gt; 
fprengt,i|l  fd)on  auf  DemSitgt^ 
*i5Innc  un^  jum  Xro|1e  a-igge^ 
J)dngt;n5crbl{r  tritgt,  nie  er-- 
liegt,  fonbtfn  unttcm  grcu^c 

fi«gf. 

?.  iMcftn  Sieg  bfltrtiicf)cm< 
pfiinben  Bieler  i>ei(gcn  (larcftr 
SKutl),  ba  fie  baben  uberroiinbc 
frfali*  Dure!)  DtS  Eamcs  5SIut, 
©olttn  mir  bann  aObier  au((> 
uitbt  (Treitcn  mit  ®cgicr. 

6. 5Bei:  l)i{.@«lap«iD  jiurVte^ 


b«,3Ieifc5e«':)iiibunbSi(^ff 
|}eit,unbbcn'Siiiibcn|i(1)er9ir 
b(t/  bcc  t)nt  n-^t'iig  fuft  sum 
©licit ;  Den  bic  SJartjt,  »£  Qtan< 
^ad}t,bnt  it}ninDcn  Srtjiaf 
gebfa(J)t. 

7.  2ibern)cnbic5Bciii)tiii(i), 
ret,  tras  bie  Jieobeii  fur  nn 
Xl)til,bc|[cn^eiii  111  (i)jDii  flit) 
ferret,  feincm  adcvliod)  fie  W. 
fu(f)taDeinoUncSd)tin5i)tifil 
frcDcr  Sncd)!  jii  fci;ti. 

8.  Senn  Dcrgniig!  ciiKljiiiolil 
bas  Sebcn,  fo  ber  ^'rci)beii  iiiiw 
g{InmuS?2Cerfi(!)(yDiini(l)l 
gnn^  trgebcn,  bai  niir  5?ii!), 
9lng|l  unb  9?erbrii|;';t>cr,titr 
triegt  recjjt  cevjtiiigt/ireifiin 
I'eben  fclfrlUcfiegt. 

9.  Brum  ail f!  (aft  iin^iit'tr: 
rcinben  in  bcm  Sluie  r>5|ii 
e()ri|T,  nnb  an  .unfre  @iin« 
binbenfeinI!3ort,foein3e"3"if 
i|],  baS  uno  be(f  1  iinD  eriuKfi, 
unb  nnd)  holies  CicbefdjintiJi. 

10.  Unfcrl'cbenfeoccrl'ocgcii 
mitet)ri|1oin«0itnilc|n.(iiif 
\io,^  roir  an  iennn  iUlorgeii  mil 
it)moffenbnraii(l)fci;n,bat"'' 
l'eit)bicfer3eiMi?ci'beiii3icDltt 

lauicr  ^reuD. 

11.  S)a  GiDtl  feiiicn ircmii 
Rne(f)ienqcbeiin)iibDen&nn> 
Den^eobn,  unb  Die  ;?!i.'ieiij)« 
®crc(J)tenf!iniinfnniibcn«ii; 

qe^^Jbon;  Dfl  fiii'iPi'')f  7'; 
K«  ettnar  Jbn  n-irb  Icnj 

iinintcDar. 


FACSIMILE    OF    HYMN    IN    THE    ZIONITISCHER    WEYRAUCHS    HUGEL. 


20 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


Anhang  ox  appendix.     Thus  in  the  edition  of  173 1  it  be- 
came hymn  No.  634,  p.  769. 

From  the  very  outset  the  hymn  came  into  extended  use 
in  both  Europe  and  America.  It  became  a  favorite  hymn 
with  the  so-called  separatists,  or  dissenters  from  the 
orthodox  church,  and  was  incorporated  into  their  hymn- 
books  ;  a  prominent  instance  being  the  Davidsche  Psalter 
Spiel  der  Kinder  Zions,  Berlenburg,  1718.     This  was  the 


ZIONITISCHER 

Otitr: 

liDttpen  geto, 

D(f    noA  Sipoihcrtr '  JTunil  labutiicKi 
3jQU(^  ■  TOtrtf  ju  finCcn. 

^rt  Qll(rl(n  tifbfiJ'^^iirtfungcn  b(r  in  ffiOtX 

St()(i[r9t(n  €((lcn,  rodift  fiit  m  oidtr  ant)  manttttltj 

gcrfllKtcn  uno  iKMiittn  tlicDtrn  aujgcbtlCU. 

9llj  barmnm 

2)(r  If^tf  Kuff  ?iu  6fm  abmBmabt  ^ca  grop 

fen  (B^TtceB  auf  unttrfdjiiMiAc  ITcife 

trctflicb  0115  gt^rucfttuR  i 

Bum  SitnH 

Dtr  in  bfm  SiNnB.  ^'anSifchin  ^TOdf  • 't^nl  aU 

CiU  ^f'n   ItnKrqan)   bee  ^pnncu    tript<ficn    Jfict^r 

GiO(lt'>  unb  111  ibrcr  l^rmunKrims  auf  bit 

(Dtilltrni)[t)iii(  Sufunffi  bit  ^rnutijami 

ana  Cicfct  itcgteben. 


TITLE    PAGE   OF   FIRST   BOOK   PRINTED   WITH   GERMAN   TYPE   IN  AMERICA. 

first  distinct  hymnal  published  for  the  use  of  the  Separatists. 
In  America  it  was  incorporated  in  the  celebrated  Zio- 
nitischer  Weyratichs  Hiigel,  of  the  Ephrata  Community 
(Sauer,  1738,  hymn  395,  page  444);  also  in  der  Kleine 
Davidische  Psalterspiel  der  kinder  Zions  (Sauer,  hymn  38, 
page  41),  and  a  number  of  other  early  American  hymn- 
books.  It  is  also  to  be  found  in  the  Manuscript  Hymnal 
of  the  Zionitic  Brotherhood,  which  is  known  as  the  Para- 


As  an  Hymnist.  21 

diesische  Nachts  Tropffen,  1734  (hymn  11,  p.  6).*  This 
hymn,  after  a  lapse  of  two  centuries,  is  still  used  by  nearly 
all  the  Protestant  denominations  in  Germany,  and  is  re- 
tained in  their  hymnology  in  America  as  well,  the  latest  in- 
stance being  its  retention  by  the  Lutheran  Church  of  the 
United  States  in  their  new  G &rma.n  Kir c ken  Buck,  wherein 
it  is  hymn  331.  Especial  attention  is  called  to  it  in  Stip's 
Unverfdlschtcr  Liedersegen  (Berlin,  185 1). 

Julian,  in  his  Dictionary  of  Hymnology,  mentions  the 
following  translations  into  the  English  language  :  "  Rise, 
ye  children  of  Salvation "  (omitting  stanza  four)  in  Mrs. 
Bevans'  "Songs  of  Eternal  Life,"  1858,  page  10.  Three 
centos '  have  come  into  use,  the  translations  of  stanzas, 
one,  three  and  nine,  in  Dr.  Pagenstecher's  collection,  1864 ; 
—  of  stanzas  one,  five,  nine  and  eleven  in  the  English 
Presbyterian  psalms  and  hymns,  1867  ;  and  the  Temple 
Hymn-Book,  1867  ;  and  stanzas  one,  five  and  eleven  in 
Laudes  Domini,  New  York,  1884. 

Another  one  of  his  hymns  is 

"  If  our  all  on  Him  we  Venture" 

a  translation  of  stanzas  three,  as  stanza  two  of  hymn  No. 
1064  in  the  supplement  of  1808  to  the  Moravian  Hymn- 
Book  of  I 801. 

Another  celebrated  hymn  attributed  to  Justus  Falckner  is  : 

O  Herr  der  Herrlichkeit 
O  Glantz  der  Seligkeit, 
Du  Licht  vom  Lichte, 
Der  Muden  siisser  Saft, 
Des  grossen  Vater's  Kraft, 
Sein  Angesichte. 


*  Collection  of  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

'Cento,   a  composition  formed  by  verses  or  passages  from  different 
authors  disposed  in  a  new  order. 


22 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


Ai  Liibeck  and  Rostock. 


23 


This  hymn  was  also  printed  in  the   Weyraucks  Hugel  (No. 
475'  P-  54°)  ^^^  Sauer's  Psalterspiel  (No.  361). 

It  is  not  known  to  a  certainty  how  long  the  academic 
term  of  young  Falckner  lasted  at  Halle.  When  he  left 
that  institution  he  was  what  was 
known  as  a  Candidat  TheoJogia 
or  a  candidate  for  holy  orders. 

It  appears  that,  after  he  left 
Halle,  he  went  to  Liibeck  and 
Rostock.  The  former  city  was 
the  birthplace  of  his  friend  and 
tutor,  Aug.  H.  Francke,  the  lat- 
ter a  university  town,  whose  great 
seat  of  learning  up  to  a  few  years 
before  was  presided  over  by 
the  renown  Dr.  Heinrich  Miiller 
(Muhlen).  Both  of  these  cities  had  for  some  years  been 
centers  of  pietistic  activity. 

Whether  Justus  Falckner  studied  or  spent  any  time  at 
the  university  at  Rostock  has  not  been  determined.  From 
a  document  found  in  the  library  there,  it  is  shown  that  he 
spent  some  time  in  the  Duchy  of  Schleswig,  and  was  aided 
and  befriended  by  a  son  and  namesake  of  the  noted  pie- 
tistic theologian  Dominie  Heinrich  Miiller  (Muhlen)  men- 
tioned by  Gotfried  Arnold  in  his  Kirchen  and  Ketzer 
gescktchte,  and  who  was  also  a  church  dignitary  and  had 
succeeded  his  father  in  the  office  as  superintendent.  Thence 
young  Falckner  went  to  the  adjoining  Duchy  of  Holstein, 
where  he  evidently  for  a  time  taught  school  or  acted  as 
a  private  tutor. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Daniel  Falckner. 


jggfegAl 

m 

^ 

^^^M 

,/ 

w 

i<i<»S 

cM^^i 

^ 

p" 

ARMS 

OF    PENN. 

t 


'T  was  about  this  time, 
either  late  in  1698 
or  early  in  1699,  that  his 
elder  bi  other  Daniel  re- 
turned to  his  native  land 
as  an  emissary  from  Am- 
erica. From  documents 
lately  discovered  in  the 
archives  of  the  Halle  or- 
phanage we  find  that  the 
elder  Francke  was  vir- 
tually one  of  the  chief 
factors  in  the  settling  of 
the  colony  of  German 
Pietists  on  the  Wissahickon,  and  the  introduction  of  Ger- 
man pietism  in  America,  which  eventually  proved  so  pow- 
erful a  factor  in  upholding  the  orthodox  Lutheran  faith  in 
the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  and  we  might  say  shaping 
the  destiny  of  a  large  part  of  our  community. 

(24) 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.   JUSTUS   FALCKNER-1903. 


.  sACHse,  pmoto 


JOHAXISTES  KELPIUS. 

MAGISTER    OF    THE    GERMAN    PIETISTS    ON    THE    WISSAHICKON. 


FROM    THE    ORIGINAL   CANVASS    BY   DR.    CHRISTOPHER   WITT, 

NOW   IN    THE    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY   OF    PENNSYLVANIA. 


«    «  c  e  «  « 


Daniel  Falckner.  25 

In  view  of  this  greatly  improved  condition  of  the  relig- 
ious situation  in  Pennsylvania,  which,  early  in  1698,  was 
strengthened  still  more  by  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Thomas 
Clayton,  the  first  minister  of  the  Church  of  England  who 
came  to  the  Province,  it  was  concluded  by  the  leaders  of 
the  German  Pietists  on  the  Wissahickon,  partly  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  Swedish  pastors,  to  send  an  emissary  from 
among  their  number  to  Europe  to  make  public  the  true 
state  and  spiritual  condition  of  the  Germans  who  had  emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania ;  set  forth  the  labors  of  the  Pietis- 
tical  brethren  among  their  countrymen  in  America,  and 
solicit  aid  and  additional  recruits,  so  that  the  perfect  num- 
ber of  forty  ^  could  be  kept  intact,  and  at  the  same  time 


%riAM  J^dU/:j<:iicy 


could  extend  their  usefulness  in  educating  and  ministering 
to  their  neglected  countrymen  in  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia. 

Another  important  scheme  then  under  consideration  was 
the  emigration  of  the  members  of  "  the  Philadclfhian 
Society  "  ^  in  a  body  from  England  and  the  continent  to 
settle  in  Pennsylvania,  and  there  found  a  colony  where 
their  peculiar  teachings  should  be  their  only  law.  Con- 
siderable correspondence  had  taken  place  upon  the  subject, 
and  it  was  thought  by  Kelpius  and  others  that  the  time 
had  arrived  for  a  consummation  of  the  scheme.  It  was 
therefore  desirable   that  a  thoroughly   competent    person 

'For  a  full  explanation  of  this  theory,  7»jV/e  "  German  Pietists,"    pp. 

37-42- 

'  Philadelphischen  Societat,  vide  "  German  Pietists,"  p.  16. 


26 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


i  ',• 


Ml     i' 


a: 
o 
h 
S 
H 
H 

o 


Orphanage  at  Halle.  27 

should  be  sent  on  the  mission  at  that  time.  For  this  im- 
portant service  Daniel  Falckner  was  selected.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  character  and  practical  piety,  as  well  as  the 
executive  head  of  the  community,  and,  in  addition  to  his 
religious  duties,  took  considerable  interest  in  secular  affairs. 

Daniel  Falckner,  pursuant  to  the  above  arrangement,  re- 
turned to  Europe,  as  before  stated,  toward  the  close  of  the 
year  1698  or  early  in  the  spring  of  1699.  After  a  short 
sojourn  in  Holland,  he  went  to  Germany  to  visit  his  old 
associates.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Saxony,  he  found  that 
time  had  wrought  many  changes  in  the  condition  of  his 
former  companions  —  some  had  been  banished,  others 
lived  in  obscurity,  while  the  former  leader  of  the  local 
Pietistical  movement,  August  Herman  Francke,  now 
posed  as  professor  of  Oriental  languages  at  the  newly 
established  University  of  Halle,'  pastor  of  the  suburb 
Glaucha,  and  superintendent  of  an  orphanage  of  his  own 
projection. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  Halle,  Daniel  Falckner  was  cordially 
received  by  the  elder  Francke,  and  installed  at  the  orphan- 
age, and  requested  to  render  an  account  of  his  stewardship, 
and  give  authentic  information  of  the  affairs,  both  civil  and 
religious,  in  far-off  Pennsylvania. 

For  this  purpose  Francke  presented  a  number  of  ques- 
tions in  writing,  which  Daniel  Falckner  answered  in  ex- 
tenso,  his  replies  covering  about  197  folio  pages,  to  which 
he  signs  himself  as  "  Citizen  and  Pilgrim  in  Pennsylvania 
in  Northern  America." 


'  The  bicentennial  of  the  Halle  (Frederick-Wittenberg)  University  was 
celebrated  with  great  iclat,  August  2,  3,  5,  1S94,  the  Emperor  of  Germany 
being  represented  upon  the  occasion  by  Prince  Albrecht  of  Prussia.  The 
present  writer  attended  as  a  delegate  from  the  Old  Augustus  (Trappe) 
Church.  For  a  full  description  of  this  Jubilee,  see]  The  Lutheran,  Phila- 
delphia, September  6,  1S94. 


28  Dojninie  Justus  Falckner. 

Both  of  these  interesting  documents  are  still  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  the  Glaucha  institution,  and  are  now  be- 
ing copied  verbatum  for  the  writer's  use. 

An  abstract  of  this  report  was  published  in  Germany  in 
1702  under  the  following  title  : 

Curious  account  of  Pennsylvania,  in  Northern-America 
which  at  solicitation  of  good  friends  regarding  103  questions 
submitted,  and  at  his  departure  from  Germany  to  above 


Curieufe  «it®i;iSt 

t)on 

PENSYLVANIA 

tit 

TCelcbe/ 

P6ec  vocfleleflte  103.  ^rd^ 

gen/  bet)  fauer5i(>ieiOau6^euifcl^ 

InnD  unci)  obigem  l^anDc  Anno  1700. 

evtljeilct/unbnun  Anno  i7oain&cn^rurf 

X>on 

Spaniel  ^aKnetn/Profcflbrc, 

- 

FACSIMILE    TITLE    OF    FALCKNER's    DESCRIPTION    OF    PENNSYLVANIA, 

1702. 


A  Curious  Account.  29 

Country  Anno  1700  are  answered,  and  Now  Anno  1702, 
are  given  in  print  by  Daniel  Falckner,  Professor,  Citizen 
and  pilgrim  there. 


CONTINCTATIO 

©efWbuna  t)ee2anl>f(|a» 

PENSYLVANIiE 

an  t)ettcn  €nD:®r4n$m 

AMERICiE. 

Relatiooes* 
^  Stii  m  (joltent) : 

Tiit  Situation,  unt)§nic&t6arfeft&ed 
€r^bl)^entf♦  2><e  ©cfeiffrf  <c6e  lm^anftctf 

gluffe.  2)ic  2In§al)t  bercr  bi§^ero  gebautm  ©tdbtt. 

^i«  icltiamc  (irfofurrn  an  Siimn/Oigtin  BBtglfiea. 

Bir  Mmerii.tn  iin&  (Siie(.jeftn'nt  Otrto  r<nge6o6T»eB  MV 

«enS5clrf«r(Sprac6tn/  Slfl/fllonuitDetStrfuA*.  Un» 

Di(  (rjtm  (Et)i't|}if(5«n  fjflan^cr  naO  Si|a6anrc 

t)ief(l  ^an^^. 

Stfc^rieben  von 

GABRIEL  THOMAS 

£an(e^. 

•SJelcf;em  Traftclrttin  nod^  bttjsefuget  fInB : 

2)fd^tt.DANItLFALCKNERS 

iBurgcriS  tint)  ^itgtimS  in  Pcnfylvaaia  i93« 
S^caittirortuiigcn  u/f  vorgdcgte  Srafltn  dob 
flufm  SrtanPtn. 


30  Dotninie  Justus  Falckner. 

A  somewhat  extended  abstract  was  issued  two  years  later 
(1704)  by  the  same  publishers,  under  following  title  : 

Daniel  Falckner's  visit  to  Europe  also  partook  somewhat 
of  a  political  nature,  which  was  destined  to  work  radical 
changes  in  the  civil  affairs  of  the  German  township  of 
Pennsylvania. 

His  reports  to  Benjamin  Furly  at  Rotterdam,  and  to  the 
leaders  of  the  Frankfort  Company,  at  Amsterdam,  Liibeck, 
and  Frankfort,  but  confirmed  the  unsatisfactory  rumors, 
and  dissatisfaction  as  to  Pastorius'  management  of  their 
property  in  Pennsylvania. 

This  resulted  in  Daniel  Falckner  and  Johann  Jauert,  a 
commercial  traveller,  son  of  Balthasar  Jauert,'  a  leading 

pietist  of  Liibeck  and  member  of  the  Frankfort  Company^ 
being  summoned  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main  early  in  the 
year  1700,  and  a  power  of  attorney  given  them,  together 
with  Magister  Johannes  Kelpius,  to  take  charge  of  their 
property  and  affairs  in  Pennsylvania. 

This  document  was  dated  January  24,  1700,  and  was 
signed  by  all  of  the  surviving  members  or  their  assigns.  |^ 

From  Frankfort,  Daniel  went  to  Rotterdam  and  in  April 


Vn/^^^^^^^i^         /fe^V 


yt.<f 


a/^^Ai^^M^ 


'The  correct  spelling  of  this   name  is  Jauert,  not  Jawert  as  usually 
spelled. 


Departs  for  Ainerica.  31 

of  the  same  year  a  power  of  attorney  of  like  import  was 
given  to  him  and  his  brother  Justus,  who  had  decided  to 
accompany  his  brother  to  Pennsylvania,  on  a  mission  hav- 
ing for  its  chief  object  the  spreading  of  the  Gospel  in  the 
"  Land  of  Darkness  "  {Abend-land). 

A  few  weeks  later  we  find  the  two  brothers  at  the  old 
Hansastadt  of  Liibeck  in  conference  with  the  elder  Jauert, 
and  Balthasar  Jaspar  Konneken,  a  learned  scholar,  pietist 
and  astronomer,  who  had  taken  an  active  personal  interest 
in  the  German  settlement  of  Pennsylvania,  from  the  time 
of  the  arrival  of  the  first  pioneers  in  1683,  and  among  whose 
effects  we  find  the  earliest  reports  from  the  German  town- 
ship. He  also  wanted  to  join  the  colony  of  German'Tietists 
on  the  Wissahickon,  but  was  dissuaded  on  account  of__his 
advanced  age. 

Finally,  toward  the  middle  of  May,  quite  a  little  party 
of  Pietists  had  assembled  at  Liibeck  and  set  sail  by  way 
of  England.  The  white  cliffs  of  Albion's  shores  were 
lost  to  view  on  the  25th  of  May  and  the  capes  of^the  Dela- 
ware were  sighted  early  in  August,  after  a  passage  of  about 
ten  weeks. 

•2)ertTKtf  5mpff«ni)«/  nltt[cy^en* 
t)e/  ^n^  tTluboffrnbi  ax\  be  tn 
ilcibe  "yt^n  1  <mg<pfI<;nQtc 
tTJitf necfet  /  <rwart«nb  mei» 
t\i9  tSrQfi^cttna  unO  ^im* 
ine(ff»:Rdnt09  in  \t\in\i(i)im 

©onfelSafcfner/^iir^fnjnt) 

^^t\Xtl  itt  Penfyivanieti  ia 
$^01M  Amef  ica« 

DANIEL  PALCKNER's  COLOPHON. 


CHAPTER   III. 


On  the  Wissahickon. 


H' 


LMOST  immedi- 
ately after  the 
return  of  Daniel  Falck- 
ner  to  the  German  town- 
ship of  Pennsylvania, 
bringing  his  brother 
Justus  and  a  number  of 
Theosophists  and  Piet- 
ists, a  change  took  place 
in  the  civic  government 
of  the  German  borough. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  (1700),  Daniel 
Falckner  was  elected  bailiff,  his  brother  Justus  a  burgess, 
Johann  Jauert,  recorder,  and  Daniel  Geissler,  crier  of  the 
court. 

At  a  court  held  at  Germantown,  7th  day  of  9  mo.,  1700, 

Justus  Falckner  appears  to  have  sat  as  one  of  the  judges. 

The   cares  and  worriments  of  judicial   office,  together 

with  the  strife  and  bickerings  of  the  infant  community, 

were  not  congenial  to  our  young  Pietist,  and  all  was  so 

(32) 


m 

-1 

> 

■< 

z 

Tl 

CO 

O 

o 

> 

-n 

t- 

H 

T 

I 

3) 

o 

o 

s 

> 

H 

f- 

to 

n 

o 

O 

> 

(- 

m 

7 

i' 

O 

> 

o 

X 

> 

r- 

O 
"n 

O 
O 


c 

CO 
H 
C 
CO 


o 
?; 

z 
m 

33 

J^ 

u> 
o 

CO 


As  a  Herinit. 


33 


different  from  the  ideal  life  he  expected  to  find  here  in  the 
virgin  forests  of  Pennsylvania,  that  before  many  weeks 
passed  we  find  him  retiring  from  the  world,  its  allurements 
and  ambitions,  and  installed  in  an  humble  log  cabin,  beside 
a  spring  of  clear  water,  on  the  banks  of  the  Wissahickon, 
passing  his  time  as  a  hermit,  communing  with  his  God  in 
silent  contemplation  of  nature,  and  continuing  his  theosophi- 
cal  studies  under  the  tutelage  of  Magisters  Kelpius  and 
Selig,  the  former  secretary  of  the  great  Spener. 

In  addition  to  his  esoteric  and  theosophical  studies,  dur- 
ing his  year  of  retirement  as  a  recluse,  Justus  Falckner 
made  good  his  promise  to  Senior  Heinrich  Muhlen,  of 
Schleswig,  to  advise  him  as  to 
the  condition  of  the  church  in 
America.  Just  how  many  mis- 
sives he  sent  is  not  known.  The 
first  one,  however,  dated  German- 
town  in  the  American  province 
of  Pennsylvania,  otherwise  New 
Sweden,  the  ist  of  August,  1701, 
was  printed  in  Germany.  A 
single  copy  of  this  heretofore  un- 
known contribution  to  the  his- 
tory of  our  province  was  found 
some  years  ago  in  the  library  of  the  University  at  Rostock, 
where  it  was  bound  up  with  a  number  of  other  tracts.  This 
missive  is  not  alone  valuable  as  it  sets  forth  the  religious 
condition  of  the  Germans  within  the  province  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  eighteenth  century,  but  it  also  contains  a  plea 
for  an  organ  for  the  Swedish  Church  in  Philadelphia. 
That  this  appeal  was  not  in  vain  is  shown  from  records 
still  extant,  and  which  make  mention,  as  early  as  1703,  of 
•'Jonas  the  Organist."     At  the  end  of  his  year  of  self-im- 


34  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

posed    seclusion,  we    again    find    some    record    of  Justus 
Falckner  in  public  affairs. 

That  there  was  evidently  some  understanding  and  inter- 
course between  William  Paiti  and  the  Falckner  brothers 
during  the  former's  second  visit  to  the  province,  is  shown 
by  several  entries  in  Minute-book  G  of  the  Board  of  Prop- 
erty of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  where,  in  a  dispute 
about  some  land,  the  Proprietary  steps  in  and  issues  an 
order  in  favor  of  Daniel  Falckner.'"  The  next  entry  in  the 
same  book,  made  12th  of  nth  Month,  1701,  shows  that 
Penn's  interest  in  Falckner  continued  during  the  former's 
stay  in  the  Province.  One  of  Penn's  last  official  acts  prior 
to  his  departure  was  the  letter  quoted  in  these  Proceedings 
before  the  Land  Commission  : 

"James 

"  Prepare  a  Wart'  for  4,000  acres  for  Benjamin  Furly, 
out  of  which  3  Wart's  for  500  acres  Each  for  Falkner  and 
Brother  and  Dorthy  and  Brother  and  Sister,  which  recom- 
mend to  the  Commiss'rs  of  Propriety  if  not  done  before  I 
goe.     25th  8ber.,  1701. 

"  Wilhn  Penn" 

According  to  the  old  minute-book  ♦'  G,"  before  quoted, 
he  appears  as  joint-attorney  with  his  brother  for  Benjamin 
Furly  of  Rotterdam,  and  was  so  acknowledged  by  William 
Penn  during  his  second  visit  to  the  Province  (1699-1701). 
In  a  subsequent  entry,  on  the  19th  of  nth  month,  1701, 
Daniel  and  Justus  Falckner  appear  as  attorneys  for  the 
Frankfort  Land  Company,  and  produce  a  patent  for  some 
city  property.  Upon  the  i8th  of  the  12th  month,  1701, 
both  brothers  again  figure  before  the  Land  Commissioners 
in  the  interests  of  Benjamin  Furly.     At .  different  times 

^"Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  vol.  xix.,  p.  219. 


As  an  Attorney.  35 

after  the  above  entry  they  continue  to  press  the  claims  of 
their  principals. 

On  5th  of  2d  month,  1703,  Daniel  and  Justus  went 
before  the  land  commissioners,  and  produced  a  return  of  a 
warrant  for  fifty  acres  of  Liberty  Lands  surveyed  to  Ben- 
jamin Furly.  They  also  pressed  a  claim  for  a  High 
Street  lot  of  132-foot  front. 

On  the  30th  of  the  6th  month,  1703,  Justus  Falckner 
appears  alone  before  the  Commissioners,  and  as  attorney  of 
Furly  produces  a  "return  of  1000  acres  in  Chest'r  County, 
said  to  be  in  Pursuance  of  our  Warr't  dat.  16,  12  Mo., 
1701,  and  the  Same  Land  appearing  to  be  an  Encroachm't 
upon  the  Welch  Tract  within  their  Settlements,  and 
already  granted  to  David  Lloyd  and  Is.  Norris,  the  same 

HEADING   OF    LETTER  FROM   FURLY   TO   FALCKNER   BROTHERS. 

is  Rejected  and  disapproved  of,  and  thereupon  'Tis 
Ordered  that  the  Same  be  Certifyed  by  Indorsement  On 
the  said  Return  under  Ye  Comm'rs  hands,  which  is  ac- 
cordingly Done." 

It  is  evident  from  the  above  official  minute  that  the  loss 
to  Furly  of  this  parcel  of  land  was  not  through  any  fault 
of  the  Falckner  brothers,  as  has  been  frequently  stated  by 
Pastorius.  The  charge  by  the  latter  that  they  sold  the 
above  land  for  their  own  use  and  benefit  is  also  hereby 
shown  to  be  without  any  foundation. 

The  above  entry  is  the  last  notice  of  Justus  Falckner 


36 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


upon  the  official  records  of  Pennsylvania.  This  attempt 
to  recover  the  land  for  its  rightful  owner  was  evidently  the 
beginning  of  the  differences  with  Daniel  Lloyd  and  Isaac 
Norris,  which  ended  five  years  later  in  the  Sprogel  con- 
spiracy and  the  dispossession  of  Daniel  Falckner. 

That  Justus  Falckner,  dur- 
ing his  sojourn  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  a  man  without  re- 
proach and  one  with  exem- 
plary piety,  may  be  judged 
from  his  subsequent  career 
and  the  fact  that  his  name  is 
not  even  mentioned  by  the 
splenetic  Pastorius,  who  so 
persistently  villified  the  elder 
brother."  Just  what  part 
Justus  bore  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation at  Falckner's  Swamp  (New  Hannover,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Penna.),  the  first  High  German  Lutheran 


ARMS    OF    PASTORIUS. 


"  The  following  memorandum  was  found  among  the  Frankfort  papers 
at  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society.  It  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Pas- 
torius and  it  shows  how  vindictive  the  deposed  steward  of  the  Company 
was  toward  his  successor.  It  is  needless  to  say  here  that  these  charges 
have  been  shown  to  be  far  from  the  truth,  vide  Dr.  Schmauk's  "  History 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  163S-1800,"  and  Sachse's  "  German  Pietists." 

"  In  the  afores''  year  1700  at  the  end  of  the  6""  Month  (August)  Daniel 
Falckner  and  Johannes  Jawart  being  arrived  here,  began  along  with  Johan- 
nes Kelpius  to  administer  the  Company's  affairs,  to  whom  the  s''  Pastorius 
Delivered  up  the  land,  house,  barn,  stable,  corn  in  and  above  ground, 
cattle,  household  goods  utensils  &c  and  besides  in  arrears  of  Rents  &  other 
Debts  due  to  the  Company,  about  23o£  hoping  they  would  do  Business 
with  better  success,  than  he  signified  to  the  partners  in  Germany,  that  he 
was  able  or  capable  to  do  himself.  But  soon  after  Johannes  Kelpius  noti- 
fied me  he  would  not  act  as  attorney  for  the  s*  Company,  calling  himself 
Civilites  Mortus.    Whereupon  Daniel  Falkner  plaid  the  sot,  making  Bone- 


H 
I 
tn 

•n 
> 

r- 
O 
^ 
tn 

Z 
m 

3J 
CO 

> 

S 


P    5 

m 
>     3J 

O 

=  s 

::    <= 

■"    o 

I 


'm^ 


i-'-j:^ 


o 

w 

I 

m 
O 
> 


o 
o 


c 

03 


c 
en 


o 
;^ 

z 
m 

I 


His  Activity. 


37 


congregation  organized  in  America,  or  how  often  he  was 
wont  to  visit  the  congregation  or  minister  to  his  fellow  coun- 
trymen, cannot  be  told  to  a  certainty ;  although  we  have 
no  direct  record  of  the  facts,  he  without  doubt  actively  sec- 
onded his  brother  in  organizing  and  ministering  to  the 
German  settlers  on  the  Manatawney  tract ;  nor  can  his  so- 
journ among  the  Mystics  on  the  Wissahickon  be  traced  in 
detail.  His  intercourse,  however,  with  Kelpius,  Selig, 
and  the  Swedish  pastors,  Rudman,  Biorck,  Sandel  and 
Auren,  is  known  to  have  been  frequent  and  intimate. 

fires  of  the  Company's  Flax  in  open  street,  giving  a  piece  of  eight  to  one 
Boy  to  show  him  in  his  drunken  Fit  a  house  in  Philad",  and  to  another  a 
Bit  to  light  him  his  pipe  &c.  In  so  much  that  his  Fellow  Attorney  Johan- 
nes Jawert  affixed  an  advertisement  on  the  Meeting  house  at  Germantown, 
that  no  one  should  pay  any  Rent  or  other  Debt  due  to  the  Company  unto 
the  s*  Falckner. — Yea  and  the  then  Bailiff  and  Burgesses  of  the  German- 
town  Corporation  acquainted  the  s''  Company  of  the  s''  Administration  of 
this  their  attorney,  in  a  letter,  which  (as  they  afterwards  did  hear)  Mis- 
carried.' ' 


MONUMENT  ERECTED    BY  PETER    MINUET  ON    THE    SHORES 
OF   THE   DELAWARE  A.  D.   163S. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Falckner's  Missive  from  Germantown. 


M' 


E  will  now  present  a  trans- 
lation of  Justus  Falck- 
ner's unique  missive  to  Germany, 
concerning  the  religious  condi- 
tion of  Pennsylvania  in  the  year 
1701.'^ 

"  IMPRINT  I  of  a  MISSIVE 
|TO  Tit:  Lord  D.  Henr. 
Muhlen,  |  From  Germanton  in  the 
AMERI I  CAN  Province  of  Penn- 
sylvania, otherwise  |  New  Sweden, 
the  First  of  August,  in  the  Year  |  of  our  salvation  One 
thousand,  seven  hundred  |  and  one  |  CONCERNING  the 
condition  of  the  CHURCHES  I  in  AMERICA.!  MDCCII." 


«'  SHALOM. 


"  Right  Reverend,  Most  Learned,  Especially 
Honored,  Lord  General  Superintendent. 

"  In  sending  to  Your  Magnificence  the  present  missive 


"A  photo-mechanical  facsimile  of  this  unique  book  can  be  seen  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society;  there  is  also  a  copy  in  the 
library  of  the  writer.  A  copy  of  the  original  German  version  is  printed 
in  Rev.  George  J.  Fritschel's  "  Geschichte  der  Lutherischen  Kirche  in 
Amerika." — GUtersloh,  1896. 

(38) 


Eremite  in  the  Desert.  39 

from  such  a  distant  part  of  the  world,  I  am  moved  there- 
unto partly  by  the  recollection  of  the  high  favor  and  civility 
which  you  extended  toward  me  while  I  was  in  Schleswig 
with  you,  prior  to  my  departure  from  Holstein  to  America, 
as  you  also  were  kindly  disposed,  by  virtue  of  your  episcopal 
and  priestly  office,  to  extend  your  great  ecclesiastical  bene- 
diction, and  thereby  to  further  my  proposed  journey  to  a 
blessed  purpose ;  upon  the  other  part,  I  am  obliged  thereto 
by  the  express  commands  which  you  enjoined  upon  me  at 
sundry  times,  that  I  should  correspond  with  you  as  much  as 
possible  concerning  the  condition  of  the  church  in  America ; 
(de  statu  Ecclesia  in  America).  This  honored  command 
emanating  from  the  love  of  God,  I  will  comply  with  for  the 
good  of  his  church,  and  give  satisfaction  so  far  as  I  may : 
therefore  I  will  make  a  beginning  herewith.  Indeed  I 
must  declare  that  since  the  time  when  I  was  there  [in 
Schleswig]  I  have  now,  God  be  thanked,  arrived  safely 
here.  This  was  during  the  past  year  at  the  beginning  of 
August,  after  we  had  sailed  from  England  on  May  25. 
Since  my  arrival  here,  I  have  for  many  material  reasons, 
lived  entirely  alone  in  a  small  block-house,  which  I  had 
built  for  me,  as  an  eremite  in  the  desert  (in  Deserto).  Hav- 
ing had  but  slight  intercourse  with  the  people,  much  less 
travelled  hither  and  thither,  and  having  [merely]  gathered 
information  from  one  and  the  other,  so  I  do  not  know  the 
particulars  of  the  status  here  in  every  respect. 

"  But  now,  after  having  schooled  myself  a  little  in  the 
solitude,  I  begin  as  if  from  a  mirror  (tanquam  ex  spectilo)  to 
take  cognizance  of  one  fact  and  the  other.  I  have  gone 
more  among  the  people,  and  subsequently  have  resolved  to 
give  up  the  solitude  I  have  thus  far  maintained,  and,  accord- 
ing to  my  humble  powers,  to  strive  at  least  with  good  inten- 
tion publicly  to  assist  in  doing  and  effecting  good  in  this 


40  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


Tit.  ^erm 
%x^  ®ttmanfon  /  in  bet  5fmeti^ 

CaniftSen  Province Penfylvanla,  fonft  No* 

ra  succia,  tmerften  Augufii,  im^u^i; 
ttnfer^^e^l^  eintviufenb  |icl)f  n5unt)at 

©ett  3«ftan^  bet  ^trc&ett 

in  America  befrcffenD* 


MDCCII. 

TITLE-PAGK   OF   FALCKNER's    MISSIVE   TO    GERMAm',    I70I. 

From  only  known  copy  in  the  Rostock  University  Library. 


opinion  of  the  ^takers.  41 

spiritual  and  corporeal  wilderness.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to 
draw  conclusions  concerning  the  condition  of  the  churches 
in  these  parts,  and  indeed  particularly  in  this  Province,  it 
is  still  pretty  bad.  The  Aborigines  or  Indians,  from  lack 
of  sufficient  good  instruction,  remain  in  their  blindness  and 
barbarity,  and  moreover  are  angered  at  the  bad  living  of 
the  Christians,  especially  at  the  system  of  trading  which  is 
driven  with  them,  and  they  only  learn  vices  which  they  did 
not  have  formerly,  such  as  drunkenness,  stealing  &c.  The 
local  Christian  minority,  however,  is  divided  into  almost 
innumerable  sects,  which  pre-eminently  may  be  called  sects 
and  hordes,  as  Quakers,  Anabaptists,  Naturalists,  Ration- 
alists, Independents,  Sabbatarians  and  many  others,  espe 
cially  secret  insinuating  sects,  whom  one  does  not  know 
what  to  make  of,  but  who,  nevertheless,  are  all  united  in 
these  beautiful  principles,  if  it  please  the  Gods  (5/  J?is 
placet) :  Do  away  with  all  good  order,  and  live  for  your- 
self as  it  pleases  you !  The  Quakers  are  the  most  numer- 
ous, because  the  Governor  favors  this  sect,  and  one  might 
be  inclined  to  call  this  country  a  dissecting-room  of  the 
Quakers ;  for  no  matter  how  our  theologians  labored  to 
dissect  this  carcase  and  discover  its  interiors,  they  could 
not  do  it  so  well  as  the  Quakers  here  in  this  country  are 
now  doing  themselves.  It  would  easily  make  a  whole 
tractate  were  I  only  to  set  forth  how  they,  by  transgress- 
ing their  own  principles,  shew  in  plain  daylight  the  kind 
of  spirit  that  moves  them,  when  they  virtually  scoff  at  the 
foundation  of  such  principles,  and  become  Ishmaels  of  all 
well  regulated  church-institutions.  Hie  Rhodus,  hie  sal- 
tant.  When  I  learn  that  my  letters  come  safely  into  the 
hands  of  Your  Magnificence,  I  will  at  another  time  report 
sfecialora.  The  Protestant  Church,  however,  is  here 
divided  into  three  confessions  and  nations.     According  to 


42  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

the  confession,  the  local  Protestants,  as  they  are  compre- 
hended under  this  name  in  the  European  Roman  Empire, 
are  either  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran,  or  of  the  Presby- 
terian and  Calvinistic  Church.  And  as  the  Protestant 
Church  is  here  also  divided  into  three  nations,  so  there 
are  here  an  English  Protestant  Church  and  a  Swedish 
Protestant  Lutheran  Church  ;  and  also  persons  of  the  Ger- 
man nation  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
churches.     About  these  more  at  another  time. 

"  Now  I  will  only  speak  somewhat  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  of  the  Swedish  nation,  and  touch  upon  the  German 
Evangelical  Lutherans. 

"The  Swedes  have  two  church  congregations:  one  at 
Philadelphia,  the  capital  of  this  country,  and  another  several 
miles  therefrom  on  a  river  called  Christina.  They  have 
also  two  devout,  learned  and  conscientious  preachers, 
among  whom  I  know  in  specie  the  Reverend  Magister 
Rudman.  He,  with  his  colleagues,  endeavours  to  instil  the 
true  fear  and  knowledge  of  God  into  his  hearers,  who  pre- 
viously, from  a  lack  of  good  instruction  and  church  disci- 
pline, had  become  rather  unruly.  The  outward  worship  of 
God  is  held  in  the  Swedish  language,  and  partly  according 
to  the  Swedish  liturgy,  so  far  as  church  ceremonies  are 
concerned. 

"The  Germans,  however,  I  have  spoken  of  not  without 
cause  as  merely  several  Evangelical  Lutheran  Germans, 
and  not  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  :  those 
who  are  destitute  of  altar  and  priest  forsooth  roam  about  in 
this  desert  {scilicet  qui  ard  Saccrdotcque  desfituti,  vagantur 
hoc  in  deserto:)  a  deplorable  condition  indeed.  Moreover 
there  is  here  a  large  number  of  Germans  who,  however, 
have  partly  crawled  in  among  the  different  sects  who  use 
the  English  tongue,  which  is  first  learned  by  all  who  come 


JRecofnendattons.  43 

here.  A  number  are  Quakers  and  Anabaptists  ;  a  portion 
are  Free-thinkers  and  assimilate  with  no  one.  They  also 
allow  their  children  to  grow  up  in  the  same  manner.  In 
short  there  are  Germans  here,  and  perhaps  the  majority, 
who  despise  God's  Word  and  all  outward  good  order  ;  who 
blaspheme  the  sacraments,  and  frightfully  and  publicly 
give  scandal,  (for  the  spirit  of  errors  and  sects  has  here 
erected  for  itself  an  asylum :  Spiritus  enim  errorum  et 
Sectarum  Asyhim  sibi  hie  constittiit) ;  and  herein  is  the 
great  blame  and  cause  of  the  lack  of  establishment  of  an 
outward  and  visible  church  assembly.  Then  while  in  the 
Theologia  naturali  omnibus  hominibtis  co7uiata  there  is  as 
it  were,  the  first  Thesis:  religiosum  quendam  cultum  obser- 
vato,  so  it  happens  that  when  these  people  come  here  and 
find  no  better  outward  divine  service,  they  rather  select  one 
than  none  at  all  although  they  are  already  Libertini;  for 
even  Libertinism  is  not  without  its  outward  forms,  whereby 
it  is  constituted  a  special  religion  without  being  one. 

"Now  I  recommend  to  Your  Magnificence,  as  an  intelli- 
gent (cordate-ii)  German  Evangelical  theologian,  for  your 
mature  consideration  and  reflection  for  God  and  His 
church's  sake,  on  account  of  the  wretched  condition  of  the 
German  Evangelical  communities,  whether  with  assistance 
perhaps  from  some  exalted  hand,  some  establishment  of  an 
Evangelical  church  assembly  could  be  made  in  America, 
since  the  Germans  are  now  increasing  rapidly.  For  as 
most  of  the  Germans  are  addueendi  et  reduce7idi,  so  must 
the  means  be  expected  to  come  from  others ;  or  I  will  say 
the  decoy  [Loek-Pfeiffe)  wherewith  which  the  birds  are  to 
be  allured  cannot  and  must  not  be  expected  to  come  from 
the  birds,  but  must  be  made  by  or  for  such  as  want  to 
entice  them  here. 

"Both  myself  and  my  brother,  who  is  sojourning  here, 


44  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

keep  ourselves  to  the  Swedish  church,  although  we  under- 
stand little  or  nothing  of  their  language.  We  have  also 
been  the  means  of  influencing  divers  Germans  by  our  ex- 
ample, so  that  they  now  and  then  come  to  the  assemblies, 
even  though  they  do  not  know  the  language.  Still  they 
are  gradually  being  redeemed  from  barbarism,  and  becom- 
ing accustomed  to  an  orderly  outward  service. 

"Above  all  one  of  the  Swedish  pastors,  Magister  Rud- 
man,  has  offered,  regardless  of  the  difficulty  to  assume  the 
German  dialect  {dialcctuvi).  For  nothing  less  than  the  love 
of  God's  honor  he  has  offered  to  go  to  this  trouble  and  now 
and  then  to  deliver  a  German  address  in  the  Swedish 
church,  until  the  Germans  can  have  a  church  of  their  own, 
together  with  the  necessary  establishment.  Accordingly 
the  Germans  who  still  love  the  evangelical  truth,  and  a 
proper  outward  church  order,  much  prefer  to  attend  {in- 
teresse)  the  Swedish  churches  here  until  they  can  also  have 
their  divine  worship  in  their  own  language  as  a  people. 
The  means  are  hereby  offered  in  a  measure  to  spread  the 
Gospel  truth  in  these  wilds,  whereby  many  of  their  brethren 
and  fellow-countrymen  may  be  brought  from  wrong  to 
right,  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  whirlpool  of 
sectaries  to  the  peace  and  quiet  of  the  true  church.  Where- 
fore such  Swedish  Evangelical  churches,  for  my  humble 
part,  have  best  and  heartfelt  wishes,  and  I  seek  also  and 
pray  Your  Magnificence  to  kindly  recommend,  as  occasion 
offers,  such  churches  with  their  ministers,  to  His  Illustrious 
Serene  Highness  and  Her  Highness  his  spouse,  who  is  a 
royal  Swedish  Princess,  and  also  to  contrive  that  your 
interest  may  be  earnestly  brought  to  the  notice  of  his 
Serene  Majesty  of  Sweden. 

"I  will  here  take  occasion  to  mention  that  many  others 
besides  myself,  who  know  the  ways  of  this  land,  maintain 


1703-MEIV1ORIAL  OF  DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


GLORIA   DEI   (OLD  SWEDES),   WICACOA,  A.  D.    1903. 


AfTER   ETCHING   BY    LUOWIG   E.    FABER. 


Pleads  for  an   Organ.  45 

that  music  would  contribute  much  towards  a  good  Christian 
service.  It  would  not  only  attract  and  civilize  the  wild 
Indian,  but  it  would  do  much  good  in  spreading  the  Gospel 
truths  among  the  sects  and  others  by  attracting  them.  In- 
strumental music  is  especially  serviceable  here.  Thus  a 
well-sounding  organ  would  perhaps  prove  of  great  profit, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  the  Indians  would  come  run- 
ning from  far  and  near  to  listen  to  such  unknown  melody, 
and  upon  that  account  might  become  willing  to  accept  our 
language  and  teaching,  and  remain  with  people  who  had 
such  agreeable  things ;  for  they  are  said  to  come  ever  so 
far  to  listen  to  one  who  plays  even  upon  a  reed-pipe  {rohr- 
fifeiffe) :  such  an  extraordinary  love  have  they  for  any 
melodious  and  ringing  sound.  Now  as  the  melancholy, 
Saturnine  stingy  Quaker  spirit  has  abolished  {relegiret)  all 
such  music,  it  would  indeed  be  a  novelty  here,  and  tend  to 
attract  many  of  the  young  people  away  from  the  Quakers 
and  sects  to  attend  services  where  such  music  was  found, 
even  against  the  wishes  of  their  parents.  This  would 
afford  a  good  opportunity  to  show  them  the  truth  and  their 
error. 

"  If  such  an  organ-instrument  {Orgcl-Tvcrck)  were  placed 
in  the  Swedish  church,  (for  the  Germans  as  yet  have  no 
church,  and  the  Swedish  church  is  of  a  high  build  and 
resonant  structure)  it  would  prove  of  great  service  to  this 
church.  As  the  majority  of  the  Swedes  are  young  people, 
and  mostly  live  scattered  in  the  forest,  far  from  the  churches, 
and  as  we  by  nature  are  all  inclined  to  good,  and  above  all 
to  what  may  serve  our  souls,  such  as  the  Word  of  God 
which  is  dead  and  gone,  so  are  especially  the  youth ;  and 
it  is  so  with  the  Swedish  youth  now  under  consideration. 
When  they  have  performed  heavy  labor  for  the  whole 
week,  as  is  customary  here,  they  would  sooner  rest  on  a 


46  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Sunday,  and  seek  some  pleasure,  rather  than  perhaps  go 
several  miles  to  listen  to  a  sermon.  But  if  there  were  such 
music  there,  they  would  consider  church-going  as  a  recre- 
ation for  their  senses. 

"  Thus  does  Luther  of  blessed  memory  in  one  place 
highly  recommend  the  use  of  the  organ  and  sacred  music 
for  this  very  reason,  that  it  is  serviceable,  and  induces 
young  and  simple  and,  says  he  foolish  folk,  to  listen  unto 
and  receive  God's  Word.  It  would  also  prove  an  agree- 
able thing  for  God,  angels  and  men  ;  if  in  this  solitude  and 
wilderness,  which  as  it  were  struggles  under  so  many 
Secula,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  with  whom  there  is  fulness  of 
joy  and  at  whose  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for  ever- 
more, would  be  praised  and  honored  with  cymbal  and 
organ,  as  he  hath  commanded.  And  it  may  be  assumed 
that  even  a  small  organ-instrument  and  music  in  this  place 
would  be  acceptable  to  God,  and  prove  far  more  useful 
than  many  hundreds  in  Europe,  where  there  is  already  a 
superfluity  of  such  things  ;  and  the  more  common  they  are, 
the  more  they  are  misused. 

"  If  now  Your  Magnificence  were  kindly  to  intercede 
with  his  Serene  Highness  and  Her  Highness  his  Consort, 
and  also  with  such  other  exalted  personages  with  whom 
you  are  held  in  high  esteem,  and  present  to  them  the  bene- 
fit to  be  hoped  for ;  I  doubt  not,  but  that  something  could 
be  effected.  There  are  in  Europe  masters  enough  who 
build  such  instruments,  and  a  fine  one  can  be  secured  for 
300  or  400  thalers.  Then  if  an  experienced  organist  and 
musician  could  be  found,  and  a  curious  one  who  would 
undertake  so  far  a  journey,  he  would  be  very  welcome 
here.  In  case  this  could  not  be,  if  we  only  had  an  organ, 
some  one  or  other  might  be  found  here  who  had  knowl- 
edge thereof. 


Colophon  to  Missive.  47 


twtj  tiHt  ©kt^unCf  It  2:^  aUt  ^aa«i;f  611W  man  au(b 
rincn  crfa^mcnOrgamftcn  uno  Muficum  fintm  Ut 
curicux ,  unt)  10  tmvoutt  lH«Te  t^un  werte/ijcc  wuP- 
tc^(etrcl)C(«igcnc^mrei)n/tt)4rec^  otrt  mtt)t/ unb 
man  ^4ttc  vmmt  Orgel/fomSc^te  ficO  cttra  not© 
cm  obfctep  anfcrtf  Oi«r  fin&en/l)er<2B<j]enrc$afftD0' 

t)On  ^4ttt:.     0($U(^IicOcn  trenn  (£U.  Magnificent 

toicigmcfgfamworten  n?oltcn/  jo  glaubf  n)irt>  tit 
It^t  addrcrte  ttt  S8rfcff(  an  Den  ©(^tvrtifc^tn  Rd- 
(ident  ingontenfcp/ftjo^tn  aucO  Wer  aegfntvtirtf* 
ac?3mffaddrcfllrct  tt)orl»m  loUt  x>mti<i)t  Mfm 
©wfcli>trf(^ont)ffTere(5cU5tn^ett  -  *  sytutt 
((^  fc^tteflc  unt>  empfc{)lt  €u.  Magnificcno  ^eift 
©c^utj  unb  fcet  ®nal)c  ®0m6  ju  «Hfn  QDo^Ut* 
Q(^cn  /  ttnD  tJtr&arrf 


<Suer  Magnificence 


GenntntoaintfC  AmeriMnifi6<n 
FroTtnecPeaf/lrabia,  fcnRmi- 
TaSuccii,t(ni.Augufti  itn  3a|)f 

l^dlirtunD  cinl. 

5(1  ^&<t  im»  SDMcn 

Jufhis  Fakkmr* 


m:o)m 


COLOPHON  OF  JUSTUS  FALCKNER's  MISSIVE  TO  GERMANY. 


48 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


"  Finally  if  Your  Magnificence  would  be  highly  disposed 
to  answer,  I  believe  the  best  address  for  the  letter  would 
be  in  care  of  the  Swedish  Resident  in  London,  through 
whom  also  the  present  letter  is  addressed.  Or  perhaps 
you  are  aware  of  some  better  opportunity. 

"  In  conclusion  I  now  commend  YOUR  MAGNIFI- 
CENCE to  the  protection  and  grace  of  God  to  all  pros- 
perity, and  remain 

"  to  YOUR  MAGNIFICENCE 

"  GERM  ANTON  in  the  American 
Province  of  Pennsylvania,  otlierwise  New 
Sweden,  the  ist.  of  August  in  the  year 
of  our  Salvation  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  one. 

"  For  Prayer  and  service 
"  most  devoted, 

"Justus  Falckner." 


GLORIA  DEI  A  CENTURY  LATER. 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


.    f.    SACHSE,    PHOTO. 


GLORIA   DEI,  A.  D.   1903. 
INTERIOR    LOOKING   WEST— SHOWING    ORGAN    GALLERY. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Causes  Which  Led  to  the  Ordination  at  Wicacoa. 


^^ROM  the  missive  sent  to 
II  Dom.  Muhlen  it  is  shown 
how  close  the  intimacy  was  be- 
tween the  Swedish  pastors  and 
Justus  Falckner,  our  candidate  for 
holy  orders,  and  of  the  interest  he 
took  in  the  Swedish  Lutheran  ser- 
vices held  at  Gloria  Dei.  The  cir- 
cumstances which  brought  about 
the  ordination  of  Justus  Falckner 
at  Wicacoa  are  as  follows  : 
Andreas  Rudman,  the  Swedish  pastor  at  Wicacoa,  had 
received  repeated  calls  for  help  from  the  distressed  and  op- 
pressed Lutherans,  who  had  been  without  any  clergyman 
to  minister  to  their  wants  for  some  length  of  time.  Conse- 
quently, after  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Andreas  Sandel,  March 
lo,  170I  Magister  Rudman  gave  their  forlorn  condition 
his  earnest  consideration,  and  finding  their  case  as  bad 
as    had   been    represented    concluded    personally  to    take 

(49) 


50  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

charge  of  the  extended  mission  on  the  Hudson  and  the  ad- 
joining territory. 

In  pursuance  to  this  resolve  he,  on  July  5,  1702,  installed 
Sandel  as  pastor  of  Wicacoa,  and  on  the  19th  of  the  same 
month  he  preached  his  valedictory  sermon.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  the  sermon  he  embraced  the  opportunity  of  mak- 
ing public  Auren's  Sabbatarian  doctrine  and  implored  his 
parishioners  to  be  upon  their  guard  and  remain  true  to  the 
Lutheran  faith  according  to  the  unaltered  Augsburg  Con- 
fession. A  confessional  service  and  the  Eucharist  closed 
the  impressive  occasion. 

Early  on  the  next  day,  July  20th,  Rudman  started  for 
New  York,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Thomas,  a  schoolmaster 


^^V  J^' 


yK/Zy^ 


at  Christ  Church,  who  was  in  deacon's  orders  and  intended 
to  sail  for  England  to  receive  ordination.  A  number  of 
Swedes,  led  by  pastor  Sandel,  Matz  Keen,  Peter  Rambo 
and  Eric  Keen,  also  accompanied  them  part  of  the  way. 

Rudman,  upon  his  arrival  in  New  York,  at  once  com- 
menced to  gather  up  and  organize  the  Lutherans  (German, 
Dutch  and  Swedish),  who  were  scattered  over  so  large  a 
territory,  which,  in  addition  to  the  embryo  city  and  the  val- 
ley of  the  Hudson,  included  parts  of  Long  Island  and  East 
Jersey. 

After  Rudman  was  well  established  in  his  new  field  of 
labor,  he  sent  to  Pennsylvania  for  his  wife  and  young 
family,  and  all  went  well  until  the  summer  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  when  the  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  the  citadel 
and  town.  In  the  latter  part  of  August  Dominie  Rudman 
and   his    family  were  prostrated  by  the  terrible  scourge, 


Rudman's  Entry. 


SI 


52  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

and  upon  the  death  of  his  second  son,  Anders,  he  wrote 
to  Philadelphia  for  aid,  stating  that  both  he  and  his 
daughter  were  stricken  with  the  disorder.'' 

In  response  to  this  urgent  appeal,  Revs.  Biorck  and 
Sandel  at  once  made  arrangements  to  go  to  his  assistance  ; 
but  so  slow  were  the  imperfect  means  of  communication  at 
that  time,  it  was  not  until  September  13th  when  a  start  was 
made  from  Philadelphia  to  relieve  the  stricken  pastor. 
The  party  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
i6th,  where  they  found  Dominie  Rudman  recovering,  but 
his  daughter  still  severely  ill." 

Dominie  Rudman  never  entirely  recovered  from  this 
attack,  and  being  of  a  frail  constitution  he  realized,  after 
another  year's  trial,  that  on  account  of  the  rigor  of  the 
climate  he  could  not  continue  in  charge  during  another 
winter.  In  this  extremity,  not  wishing  to  leave  the  field 
uncovered,  he  bethought  himself  of  the  Falckner  brothers, 
and  finding  that  Daniel  had  married  and  was  occupied 
with  the  civic  affairs  of  the  German  township,  he  wrote 
the  younger  brother  a  Latin  letter  of  which  the  following 
extract  is  translated. 

"New  York,  September  21,  1703. 

"But  only  listen,  I  beg  of  you:  for  I  am  going  to  give 
you  some  unexpected  news,  for  you  to  seriously  and  prayer- 
fully ponder. 

"I  have  decided  to  leave  this  province,  to  dispose  of 
my  affairs  in  Pennsylvania  for  some  time,  and  to  revisit 


"Sandel's  Diary. 

^^  Sandel  in  his  diary,  notes:  "Sept.  17,  1702,  we  went  looking  about 
the  town  that  day  and  saw  the  English  Church  and  also  the  Dutch  [Re- 
formed?] both  of  them  edifices  of  beauty. 

Sept.  10.  "To-day  we  went  calling  on  all  who  profess  the  Lutheran 
creed  ;  there  are  very  few  here." 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF  DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


J 

THIS  MARd^c  ^w 

REMAINS 

wi  THE  REVREND  ANDREW  RUOMAN 

BEING  SENT  HITHER  FROM  S>X(EDEri. 

HE  FIRST  FOUNDED^  BUILT  THIS  CHURCH. 

WAS  A  CONSTANT  FAITHFUL  PREACHER 

IN  TH' ENGLISH, swede's  V DUTCH  CHURCHES 

ELEVEN  YEARS  IN  THIS   CQUMtREY 

, WHERE  HE  ADVA  NCbT*Ri{E  PIETY, 

BY  SOU  MD  DOCTRINE  U  GOOD  EX  AMPLE 

HE  DIED.  SEP^J3»  300  8 
^_^^^  AGED    4-0    YEARS. 


GLORIA  DEI  A.  D.,   1903. 
TOMB   OF    REV.    ANDREAS    RUDMAN    IN    FRONT   OF   CHANCEL. 


Receives  Letter. 


S3 


%• 


ffe'i^l' 


ri'Sl^ 


54  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Sweden.  What!  you  ask ;  are  you  going  to  desert  your 
little  flock? 

"Wherefore,  as  I  look  around,  no  one  has  occurred  to 
me  as  a  more  suitable  person  to  whom  I  can  safely  com- 
mit my  sheep  than  yourself.  Only  weigh  the  following 
reasons : 

"(i)  The  call  will  be  plainly  divine.  Samuel,  when 
called  of  God,  thought  "  Shall  I  ask  Eli  "  whence  is  this? 
Whence  can  it  be,  unless  God  has  imitated  the  voice  of 
Eli !  So,  be  assured,  God  is  calling  you  through  me.  So 
far  as  I  have  heard  from  the  people,  all  agree,  and  that  to, 
with  great  delight. 

"(2)  In  Europe,  you  could  have  obtained  greater  and 
more  lucrative  churches ;  but  I  know  that  you  have  been 
averse  to  this  on  account  of  the  abandoned  life  of  cour- 
tiers and  others.  Here  matters  are  very  different ;  guile 
less  scattered  sheep,  few,  docile,  obedient — thirsty  and 
famished. 

"(3)  You  seem  to  have  been  called  from  the  womb. 
Will  you  bury  your  talent  with  a  good  conscience? 

"(4)  You  have  dignified  me  with  the  name  of  'Father,' 
receive,  therefore,  the  exhortation  of  a  father.  If  I  can 
persuade  the  Ministerium,  you  will  be  initiated  (sacro  or- 
dini)  into  the  ministry  by  our  Swedish  ministers. 

•'If  you  decline,  I  will  be  compelled  to  leave  my  sheep 
without  a  successor  and  this  will  be  hard  and  difficult." 

Justus  Falckner  for  a  time  hesitated  about  accepting  the 
call,  as  he  entertained  some  doubts  as  to  the  regularity  of 
such  ordination.  Unfortunately  we  have  not  the  reply  to 
the  above  letter.  However,  in  a  subsequent  Latin  letter 
Rudman  seems  to  have  set  his  doubts  at  rest  and  removed 
all  scruples  from  the  mind  of  the  German  Pietist  on  the 
Wissahickon. 


Dominie  Abelius.  55 

In  his  letter,  dated  October  4,  1703,  Dominie  Rudman 
writes : 

"Episcopal  authority  for  consecrating  churches,  ordain- 
ing, etc.,  has  been  granted  me  unreservedly  by  the  bishop, 
especially  with  reference  to  a  contingency  such  as  this. 
This  was  done  previously  in  Pennsylvania  among  the 
Swedes  by  Rev.  Laurentius  Lock,''  who  ordaind  Avelius  " 
there,  etc.  Besides  you  know  that  in  Holland,  Lutherans 
have  no  bishop,  and  are,  therefore,  inducted  into  the  min- 
istry by  the  vote  of  the  presbyters.  You  should  have  no 
doubt  whatever,  therefore,  concerning  the  fact  of  which  I 
assure  you,  that,  if  you  prefer  to  be  subject  to  his  protec- 
tion and  promotion,  the  Bishop  of  Sweden,  as  I  certainly 
know  will  transmit  his  confirmation." 

Falckner's  answer  to  this  letter  was  evidently  his  consent 
to  receive  the  Swedish  ordination  and  take  charge  of  Rud- 
man's  flock  in  New  York  under  certain  conditions. 


"Dom.  Lars,  Carlson  Lock  (Lockenius)  came  to  America  in  time  of 
Gov.  Printz,  about  1648,  d.  16SS.  He  served  the  congregation  at  Chris- 
tina and  Tinicum  for  about  forty  years. 

"From  the  above  note  it  would  appear  that  there  was  a  Lutheran  ordi- 
nation in  Pennsylvania  before  that  of  Justus  Falckner.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  record  of  any  such  ceremony  having  ever  taken  place.  The  only 
mention  of  an  ordination  on  the  Delaware  by  another  presb3rter  is  this  allu- 
sion in  Dom.  Rudman's  letter,  which  the  latter  evidently  learned  from 
hearsay.  Dom.  Lock  died  twelve  years  before  Rudman's  arrival  in  Amer- 
ica. The  person  to  whom  the  allusion  reien,  Avelius,  was  a  Dutch  student 
by  the  name  of  Abelius  Zetskoorn,  also  written  Selskoorn,  who  came  to  this 
country  and  for  a  time  performed  divine  service  at  Sandhook.  He  went  to 
Manhattan  with  a  recommendation  to  the  Lutheran  Congregation  at  that 
place.  Governor  General  Stuyvesant,  to  get  rid  of  him,  sent  him  to  Dom- 
inie Lars  Lochenius  on  the  Delaware,  where  it  appears  that  he  taught 
school,  took  upon  himself  to  baptize  children,  and  on  Whitsuntide  1663 
was  permitted  to  preach  a  sermon  at  Tinicum.  Shortly  afterwards  he  re- 
turned to  New  York,  where  he  appears  to  have  ministered  to  the  Dutch 
Lutherans  and  appears  in  the  records  as  Dominie  Abelius.  Dom.  Berken- 
meyer  in  his  list  of  Lutheran  pastors  of  Manhattan  mentions  him  as  Goet- 
water's  successor. 


56 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


%m  \ 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


PHOTOGRAPHED    FROM    THE    ORIGINAL    CANVAS    IN    SWEDEN 


KEV.    ERIC   TOBIAS    BIORCK. 

ONE    OF   THE    OFFICIATING    MINISTERS    AT    ORDINATION    OF    JUSTUS    FALCKNER. 


Admonition  from  Dominie  Biorck.  57 

The  church  council  at  New  York,  under  date  of  Octo- 
ber 27,  1703,  wrote  him  to  come  to  New  York  and  preach 
a  trial  sermon.  This  was  followed  three  days  later  by  a 
formal  call  from  the  congregation  to  serve  them  as  pastor. 

Justus  Falckner  acknowledged  both  letters  under  date  of 
November  3,  1703,  accepting  the  call,  but  refused  to  come 
on  and  preach  a  trial  sermon.  As  the  congregation  did 
not  insist  upon  the  trial  sermon,  Dominie  Rudman  forth- 
with made  arrangements  to  sever  his  connection  with  his 
New  York  charge  and  returned  to  Philadelphia  to  complete 
his  arrangements  for  the  proposed  ordination  at  Gloria  Dei 
at  Wicacoa. 

In  the  meantime,  while  Justus  Falckner  was  preparing 
himself  for  his  new  position,  he  received  the  following 
letter  from  Magister  Biorck,  the  Swedish  pastor  at  Holy 
Trinity  Church  (Wilmington).  It  was  dated  Christiana, 
Nov.  19,  1703  : 

"  Since  the  Omniscient  has  known  best  how  to  direct 

your  resistance  and  departure  to  a  good  end,  and  to  the 
welfare  of  many,  as  is  now  apparent,  by  permitting  you, 
indeed,  to  come  hither  to  this  American  desert,  not  to  carry 
away  the  talent  entrusted  to  you,  but,  rather,  to  multiply 
it,  that  the  Father  of  the  household  may  receive  his  own 
with  profit,  for  which  a  desert  place  very  frequently  offers 
the  richest  [reward],  and,  thus,  you  have  unawares,  as  it 
were  fallen  into  that,  which  you  had  previously  escaped ; 
your  departure  to  this  province  was  your  mission,  and  call- 
ing from  God.  You  sought  a  hiding-place  ;  but  He  from 
whom  no  one  can  hide  is  now  seeking  to  call  thee  thence. 
Come  forth  then  to  the  light  and  profit  of  the  public.     For 


58 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


^ 


^4l#ie- 


^~ 


Admonition  from  Dominie  Bidj'ck. 


59 


nothing  will  be  more  pleasing  to  God,  than  for  you  to  de- 
vote your  life  to  the  common  good,  particularly  of  souls ; 
Since  one  who  desires  to  profit  only  himself,  not  only  does 
not  double,  much  less  multiply  his  talent,  but  who  rather, 
with  the  useless  servant,  digs  under  the  earth,  will,  at  last, 
like  him,  pay  a  heavy  penalty  for  his  folly.  We  have  been 
born  not  for  ourselves,  but  for  others,  especially  for  God 
and  his  Church,  and  for  which  your  services  are  needed 
here,  more  than  they  could  have  been  elsewhere  in  your 
native  land,  you  have  been  brought  hither  without  thought 
or  intention  on  your  part." 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Ordination  at  Gloria  Dei. 


MEDNESDAY, 
November  24, 
1703,  marks  the  date  of 
the  most  noteworthy  re- 
ligious service  ever  held 
within  the  consecrated 
walls  of  the  old  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church, Gloria 
Dei,  at  Wicacoa  in  Phila- 
delphia.'^ Of  the  many- 
solemn  and  festive  oc- 
casions which  have  taken 
place  within  these  ven- 
erable walls,  both  under 
its  original  Evangelical  Lutheran  tutelage  or  the  modern 
Protestant  Episcopal  regime,  not  a  single  one  has  attained 

"The  question  is  frequently  asked,  when  and  what  brought  about  the 
transfer  of  the  Swedish  Churches  on  the  Delaware,  from  the  Lutheran 
to  the  Protestant  Episcopal  fold?     The  change  was  gradual,  and  one  0£ 

(60) 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.  JUSTUS   FALCKNER-1 903. 


)   BY   J.   F.   SACHSE 


GLORIA  DEI,  A.  D.  1903. 

SHOWING    INTERIOR    WITH    CHANCEL. 


TOMBS    OF    THE    LUTHERAN    PASTORS    RUDMAN, 

DYLANDER    and    PARLIN    ARE    tN    THE    AISLE. 


Transfer  of  Gloria  Dei.  6i 

successive  steps  in  which  the  language  question,  Swedish  and  English, 
was  the  chief  factor. 

The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  according  to  the  unaltered  Augs- 
burg Confession,  was  established  on  the  shores  of  the  South  or  Delaware 
river  as  early  as  1638.  The  colonists  as  an  old  document  informs  us 
"  influenced  by  a  desire  to  preserve  among  themselves  and  their  posterity, 
those  principles  of  religion  in  which  they  had  been  instructed  in  their 
native  land,  erected  churches  at  various  points  for  the  public  ministration 
of  God's  word." 

For  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years  these  churches  maintained 
themselves  without  any  local  charters  or  civil  interference.  During  Pro- 
vost Wrangel's  pastorate  it  was,  however,  found  that  under  the  laws  of  the 
province,  they  could  not  receive  or  hold  any  legacies  or  pious  bequests. 
To  overcome  this  defect,  Wrangel  applied  to  Thomas  and  Richard  Penn, 
then  the  Proprietaries  for  a  charter,  which  was  granted  September  25, 
1765,  under  the  name  of  the  Rector, Church  Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  Churches  of  Wicaco,  Kingsessing  and  upper  Merion, 
then  the  standard  formulze  for  a  church  charter. 

Twenty  years  later  Rev.  Dr.  Collin  had  the  charter  amended,  that 
whereas,  the  Swedish  language  is  almost  extinct,  the  vestry  shall  in 
future  have  the  right  to  elect  ministers  to  supply  said  churches  provided 
always,  that  the  said  Rector  and  other  Ministers  shall  be  in  the  Ministry 
of  the  Lutheran  or  Protestant  Episcopal  Churches  and  hold  their  faith  in 
the  doctrine  of  the  same. 

This  change  was  made  necessary  as  there  was  at  that  time  no  English 
Lutheran  clergymen  within  the  State,  and  the  services  for  some  time  had 
been  held  partly  or  wholly  in  English. 

In  181S  the  charter  was  again  amended,  giving  the  vestry  power  to  sell 
some  of  its  landed  posessions. 

In  all  of  these  amendments  thus  far  it  is  emphatically  stated  that  any 
and  all  ministers  shall  be  in  the  ministry  of  the  Lutheran  or  Protestant 
Episcopal  Churches.  Dr.  Collin  lived  until  1S31,  having  been  pastor  of 
Gloria  Dei  for  some  45  years.  Dr.  Collin  during  his  long  ministry  of 
almost  half  a  century,  was  always  a  consistent  Lutheran,  although  at  the 
English  services  he  was  forced  to  permit  the  use  of  the  book  of  Common 
Prayer  in  his  churches,  as  there  were  then  no  Lutheran  Liturgical  books 
in  the  English  language,  still  he  never  considered  his  congregations  other 
than  orthodox  Lutheran.  All  of  his  assistants  subsequent  to  the  revolu- 
tion owed  fealty  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  although  the  question  was 
frequently  agitated  among  these  assistants  how  to  carry  the  churches  over 
bodily  into  the  Episcopal  fold,  their  plans  were  always  frustrated  by  the  ven- 
erable Swedish  shepherd.  After  the  decease  of  the,old  Lutheran  patriarch 
in  October,  1S31,  however,  upon  the  very  next  Sunday  there  was  an  entire 


62  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

the  historical,  romantic  or  religious  importance  of  the  one 
we  are  now  about  to  describe. 

It  is  true  that  it  was  only  the  ordination  of  an  humble 
Saxon  student,  a  German  Pietist  of  the  Halle  school,  as  a 
missionary  pastor  to  labor  in  another  province,  among 
people  of  a  still  different  nationality  and  tongue,  according 
to  the  Swedish  ritual,  by  clergymen  owing  fealty  to  the 
Archbishop  at  Upsala. 

We  have  here  upon  this  solemn  occasion  a  union  of  three 
races,  viz.,  German,  Swede  and  Hollander,  all  combined 
in  a  single  object,  to  furnish  a  regularly  ordained  pastor  as 
missionary  among  the  scattered  Lutherans  in  the  provinces 
of  New  York  and  East  Jersey,  a  territory  in  which  the 
Calvinist  almost  reigned  supreme. 

The  historic  importance  of  this  occasion  will  become  even 
more  apparent  when  we  recall  the  fact  that  this  was  the 
first  regular  ordination  of  an  orthodox  clergyman  in  Penn- 
sylvania, if  not  in  the  western  world  of  which  we  have  any 
authentic  record. 

While  the  names  and  services  are  long  forgotten  of  the 
many  godly  men,  Lutheran  and  Protestant  Episcopal,  who 
during  the  past  two  centuries  have  so  faithfully  served 
within  the  bounds  of  this  venerable  religious  landmark  on 


conformity  to  the  doctrine  and  worship  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  and  old  Gloria  Dei  became  lost  to  the  Lutherans  for  time  to 
come. 

In  1846  the  charter  was  again  amended,  when  the  word  Lutheran  was 
finally  stricken  out  of  the  charter. 

Dr.  Colin's  assistants  were  Rev.  Joseph  Clarkson,  1787-92,  who  was  the 
first  minister  to  be  ordained  by  Bishop  White  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  America,  and  was  ordained  for  the  express  purpose  of  serving 
the  Swedish  Lutheran  churches  on  the  Delaware ;  Rev.  Slaytor  Clay, 
1792-1S21  ;  Rev.  Joseph  Turner;  Rev.  John  C.  Clay;  Rev.  James  Wilt- 
bank,  1S16-20;  Rev.  M.  B.  Roche;  Rev.  Chas.  M.  Dupuy,  1S22-28;  Rev. 
Pierce  Connelly,  1828-31. 


Ordination.  63 

the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  the  name,  history  and  story  of 
this  humble  German  Pietist,  Justus  Falckner,  the  first  of 
the  many  saintly  men  to  come  to  this  Province  from  the 
Halle  institutions,  is  still  kept  in  bright  remembrance,  and 
the  story  of  his  life  and  labors  furnishes  one  of  the  bright- 
est pages  in  the  religious  history  of  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania, which  are  now  the  two  greatest  commonwealths 
in  the  American  union. 

It  was  a  solemn  ceremony  which  was  enacted  upon  that 
bleak  November  day  within  the  bare  walls  of  the  Swedish 
church  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware.  The  sacred  struc- 
ture, as  yet  bare  and  unfinished,  lacked  both  tower  and 
side  projections.  The  interior,  with  its  rough  walls  and 
exposed  roof,  earthen  floors  and  hard  benches,  well  matched 
the  unadorned  altar  within  the  recess  in  the  east,  separated 
by  a  rude  railing  from  the  body  of  the  church  and  its 
primitive  surroundings. 

Upon  this  occasion  no  pealing  organ,  with  a  multitude 
of  stops  and  pedals,  vestured  choir,  or  elaborate  music 
made  melody  for  the  service.  No  long  procession  of  robed 
clergy,  with  mitred  bishop  surrounded  by  acolytes  and  led 
by  the  cross-bearer,  were  present  to  add  dignity  to  the  scene 
and  impress  the  beholder  with  awe. 

The  ceremony  of  ordination,  although  simple  and  devoid 
of  all  pomp  and  glitter,  was  none  the  less  solemn  and  im- 
pressive. This  was  greatly  due  to  a  number  of  the  Theo- 
sophical  Brethren  from  the  ridge,  under  the  leadership  of 
Magister  Johannes  Kelpius,  who  had  come  down  from  the 
Wissahickon  to  give  eclat  to  the  elevation  of  one  of  their 
number  as  presbyter  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 

The  Theosophical  Brotherhood,  partly  clad  in  the  habit 
of  the  German  University  student,  others  in  the  rough 
pilgrim  garb  of  unbleached  homespun,  occupied  the  front 


64  Dotninie  Justus  Falckner. 

benches,  while  the  rear  of  the  church  was  filled  with  a 
number  of  Swedes  and  a  sprinkling  of  English  Churchmen 
and  Dissenters.  It  is  said  that  even  a  few  Quakers  and 
Indians  were  attracted  to  the  church,  and  enhanced  the 
picturesqueness  of  the  scene. 

The  service  was  opened  with  a  voluntary  on  the  little 
organ "  in  the  gallery  by  Jonas  the  organist,'^  supple- 
mented with  instrumental  music  by  the  Mystics  on  the  viol, 
hautboy,^'  trumpets  {Posamien)  and  kettle-drums  (Pauken)}* 
After  this  they  intoned  the  Anthem : 

Veni  Creator  Spiritus. 

While  this  was  being  sung,  a  little  procession  of  six  per- 
sons entered  the  church  by  the  west  portal.     First  came 


'^This  is  the  earliest  reference  to  a  ciiurch  organ  in  any  Protestant 
church  in  America.  It  is  not  Icnown  to  a  certainty  just  where  or  when 
they  obtained  it.  If  it  had  been  sent  over  from  Sweden  in  response  to  the 
appeal  of  Justus  Falckner  in  his  missive  to  Dom.  Muhlen  that  fact  would 
undoubtedly  have  appeared  upon  the  records.  There  is  a  strong  probability 
that  this  instrument  was  brought  over  by  Kelpius  and  his  party  in  1694, 
and  that  it  was  originally  set  up  in  the  tabernacle  on  the  Wissahickon. 

The  present  writer  has  seen  a  letter  by  Kelpius  in  which  reference  is 
made  to  an  organ,  but  all  trace  of  this  paper  now  seems  to  be  lost. 
There  is  also  an  account  that  Dr.  Witt  and  others  of  the  community 
built  an  organ  at  Germantown  or  Wissahickon  at  an  early  day.  Among 
the  musical  instruments  brought  over  by  the  Brotherhood  was  a  virginal 
(a  keyed  instrument,  something  like  a  pianoforte).  This  afterwards  re- 
verted to  the  widow  of  Magister  Zimmerman,  and  appears  in  the  inventory 
of  her  effects. 

The  first  church  organ  introduced  into  Christ  Church,  Philadelphia, 
was  obtained  in  172S  from  Ludovic  Christian  Sprogell,  who  was  one  of 
the  survivors  of  the  Brotherhood  on  the  Wissahickon. 

"The  earliest  mention  of  Jonas  the  organist  is  in  Sandel's  diary,  under 
date  July  20,  170J,  as  one  of  the  number  that  accompanied  Pastor  Rudman 
part  of  the  way  on  his  journey  to  New  York. 

"Hautboy,  a  wind  instrument,  somewhat  like  a  flute  or  clarionette. 

"  Vide  Kelpius  Diary,  Selig,  Sendschreiben  and  Pennsylvania  Maga- 
xine,  Vol.  XI,  page  434. 


s    ±     > 


O    X    >    o 


O 
> 

o 
m 


A  Solemn  Procession,  65 

two  churchwardens,  then  the  candidate  for  ordination,  with 
Rev.  Andreas  Sandel  as  sponsor  '^  by  his  side ;  lastly. 
Revs.  Erick  Biorck  and  Andreas  Rudman,  the  latter  as 
suffragan  or  vice-bishop.^" 

As  the  little  procession  reached  the  chancel  rail,  the  two 
wardens  [Eldeste)  stood  on  either  side  of  the  railing,  while 
the  suffragan  and  the  two  pastors  entered  within  the  chan- 
cel and  ranged  themselves  in  front  and  at  either  side  of  the 
altar,  upon  which  were  placed  a  crucifix  and  lighted  tapers. 
The  suffragan  was  robed  in  a  girdled  surplice,  with  chas- 
uble^' and  stole,  while  the  two  assistants  wore  the  black 
clerical  robe  '^  {Schwarze  Taler).  The  candidate,  wearing 
the  collegiate  gown  of  the  German  University,  knelt  before 
the  rail,  upon  which  a  chasuble^  {ckor  kemd)  had  been 
previously  placed. 

The  anthem  being  ended,  the  suffragan,  standing  in  front 
of  the  altar  facing  the  congregation,  opened  the  services 
proper  with  an  invitation  to  prayer.  Then  turning  to  the 
east,  while  all  kneeled,  he  repeated  the  following  invocation. 

["Almighty  and  everlasting  God;  the  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  himself  has  commanded  us  that  we 
shall  pray  for  laborers  in  thy  harvest,  we  pray  thy  un- 
searchable mercy  that  thou  wouldst  send  us  right-minded 
teachers,  and  give  thy  holy  and  wholesome  Word  into 
their  hearts  and  mouths,  so  that  they  without  error  may 
both  correctly  teach  and  perfectly  execute  all  thy  com- 

'^  Sandel  also  acted  as  secretary  of  the  Consistorium  on  this  occasion. 

*"  Vide  "  Hallesche  Nachrichten,"  new  ed.,  pp.  441,  47S;  also  W.  C. 
Berkenmeyer  vs.  Van  Dieren,  J.  Peter  Zenger,  New  York,  1728. 

'"This  garment  was  not  strictly  a  chasuble,  but  a  white  lace  garment 
similar  to  the  Roman  surplice. 

'*  Similar  to  the  one  still  worn  by  the  Lutheran  clergy. 

"Also  known  as  a  "  Mess-hemd,"  a  short  white  garment  worn  over  the 
black  robe  when  officiating  at  the  altar. 


66  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

mandments,  in  order  that  we  being  taught,  exhorted,  com- 
forted and  strengthened  by  thy  holy  Word,  may  do  that 
which  is  pleasing  unto  thee  and  useful  to  us. 

"  Grant  us,  O  Lord,  thy  Holy  Spirit,  that  thy  Word  may 
always  remain  among  us ;  that  it  may  increase  and  bear 
fruit,  and  that  thy  servant  may  with  befitting  courage 
preach  thy  Word,  so  that  thy  holy  Christian  Church " 
may  be  edified  thereby,  and  may  serve  thee  in  steadfast 
faith,  and  forever  continue  in  the  knowledge  of  thee. 
Through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen."] 

The  suffragan  then  arose  and  turned  to  the  congrega- 
tion, after  which  Rev.  Sandel,  acting  as  consistorial  secre- 
tary, advanced  to  the  chancel  rail  and  read  out  the  name 
of  the  candidate  and  the  charge  to  which  he  was  called. 

The  suffragan,  then  addressing  the  kneeling  candidate, 
said :  "  Inasmuch  as  you,  Justus  Falckner,  are  called  to  the 
Holy  office  of  the  Ministry,  and  in  order  that  you  with  us, 
and  we  with  you,  may  righth^  understand  the  sacredness  of 
this  calling,  then  let  us  hear  the  promise  and  the  exhortation 
of  the  Word  of  God."  At  this  point.  Rev.  Biorck  stepped 
forward  and  read  out  the  following  parts  of  Scripture : 

Matt,  xxviii,  18-20;  St.  John  ii,  15-17,  xx,  21-23; 
Matt.  X,  32-33  ;  2  Cor.  v,  17-20;  Jeremiah  xv,  19;  Matt, 
v,  13-16;  I  Tim.  iv,  7-8,  12-14,  16;  2  Tim.  ii,  15-16, 
22-25  ;   I  Peter  v,  2-4. 

When  this  reading  was  concluded,  Vice-Bishop  Rudman 
advanced  and  said:  "  May  God  give  you  grace  that  you 
may  faithfully  guard  these  sayings  in  your  heart.  May 
they  be  a  guide  for  your  conversation,  and  remind  you  of 
your  responsibility.  May  it  increase  your  watchfulness, 
uphold  your  zeal,  and  now  and  forever  consecrate  you  to 
the  service  of  Heaven. 


"Literally,  congregation. 


Induction  into  the  Holy  Office,  67 

"  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  expects  of  you  that,  being 
sensible  of  the  weight  of  the  ministerial  office,  you  your- 
self shall  consider  the  important  duties  which  this  office 
lays  upon  your  shoulders.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
expects  of  you  that,  in  believing  prayers  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  you  implore  God  for  grace  and  power  worthily 
to  exercise  it.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  expects  of  you 
that  you  fight  a  good  and  faithful  fight,  lay  hold  of  eternal 
life  and  make  a  good  confession.  Confess  therefore  your 
faith  before  God  and  this  congregation."' 

Sandel,  as  secretary,  now  advanced  and  slowly  read  the 
Apostolic  Creed,  each  word  being  carefully  repeated  by  the 
candidate  before  the  next  following  one  was  uttered  by  the 
secretary."  When  this  important  feature  of  the  ritual  was 
concluded  the  suffragan  said  : 

"  May  the  Lord  God  grant  unto  you  grace  to  stand  fast 
in  this  faith  to  the  end,  and  to  strengthen  those  who  are 
your  brethren  in  the  faith." 

Advancing  to  the  kneeling  candidate,  the  suffragan 
asked  the  following  questions  : 

"  Do  you,  Justus  Falckner,  declare  yourself  willing  to 
undertake  this  holy  ministerial  office  in  the  name  of  the 
holy  Trinity  ?  " 

To  which  the  candidate  answered  a  clear  "  Yes." 

"Will  you  solemnly  promise  that  this  office  shall  be 
worthily  and  rightly  administered  in  all  its  parts,  to  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls  ?  *' 

Again  the  same  clear  response,  "Yes." 

"Will  you  always  continue  in  the  pure  Word  of  God, 
flee  all  false  and  heretical  teaching,  preach  Jesus  Christ 
according  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  administer  the  Holy 
Sacraments  according  to  his  institution?" 

"  The  original  states  that  the  confession  was  spelled  out  letter  for  letter, 
word  for  word. 


68  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Response,  "  I  will." 

"Will  you  so  regulate  your  life  that  it  may  be  an  ex- 
ample to  the  faithful,  and  shall  scandalize  no  one?" 

The  kneeling  man  again  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

The  suffragan  continuing,  said  : 

"You  acknowledge  therefore  j'our  obligations.  You 
have  declared  it  to  be  your  purpose  to  fulfill  them.  Con- 
firm it  now  with  your  oath  of  office." 

The  obligation  was  then  administered  upon  the  Holy 
Evangels  by  the  acting  secretary.^ 

After  which  the  suffragan  continued  : 

"  May  the  Almighty  God  strengthen  you  and  help  you 
to  keep  all  this,  and  according  to  the  power  given  to  me  in 
God's  stead  by  the  Church,  I  hereby  confer  upon  you  the 
ministerial  dignity  in  the  name  of  God  the  Father  and  the 
Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen." 

The  candidate  here  again  kneeled,  while  the  Brother- 
hood intoned,  to  the  soft  strains  of   instrumental  music, 

the  hymn  : 

"  Veni  Sancto  Spirit, 
Reple  tuorum  corda  fidelium." 

During  the  singing  of  this  hymn,  the  suffragan,  assisted 
by  the  two  clergymen,  invested  the  candidate  with  the 
chasuble  and  stole.  When  this  ceremony  was  completed 
and  the  hymn  sung,  the  suffragan  repeated  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  while  he  imparted  the  Apostolic  succession "  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands.  He  then  returned  to  the  altar, 
and  said,  "Let  us  pray."  Then,  turning  once  more  to  the 
east  he  read  the  following  invocation  : 

"O  everlasting  merciful  God;  dear  heavenly  Father, 
who  through  thy  beloved  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  hast 

"Text  of  obligation  is  missing. 

'''This  was  according  to  the  Swedish  ritual. 


Invocation.  69 

said  unto  us,  the  harvest  is  plenteous  but  the  laborers  are 
few ;  pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  He 
send  forth  laborers  into  His  harvest,  and  who  by  these 
words  hast  made  us  understand  that  we  cannot  procure 
right-minded  and  faithful  teachers  except  only  of  thy 
merciful  hand :  we  pray  thee  therefore  of  our  whole  heart 
that  thou  wouldst  mercifully  look  upon  this  thy  servant 
who  is  now  ordained  to  thy  service  and  to  the  holy  office 
of  thy  Ministry,  and  give  him  thy  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  he 
may  go  forth  under  watching  and  be  strengthened  by  thy 
Word,  and  be  able  to  stand  fast  in  the  fight  for  thy  king- 
dom, and  to  execute  thy  work,  teach  and  reprove  men 
with  all  humility  and  learning  ;  in  order  that  thy  Holy 
Gospel  may  continue  among  us  pure  and  unadulterated, 
and  bear  for  us  the  fruit  of  salvation  and  of  eternal  life. 
Through  thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

Here  the  suffragan,  turning  to  the  kneeling  postulant, 
said :  "  Bow  down  your  heart  to  God  and  receive  the 
benediction." 

After  this  was  given  the  impressive  liturgy  was  at  an 
end.  The  Theosophists  then  intoned  the  115th  Psalm: 
"  iVb«  Nobis  Dominic,'''  during  which  the  little  procession 
reformed  and  as  the  last  verse  was  sung  slowly  left  the 
church,  and  the  solemn  and  impressive  ceremonial  which 
marked  the  first  regular  ordination  of  a  Protestant  clergy- 
man in  America  was  at  an  end. 

The  reader  may  ask :  Did  the  newly  ordained  pastor 
keep  his  sacred  ordination  vows  ?  This  the  sequel  of  our 
sketch  will  show.  It  may,  however,  be  permitted  here  to 
say  without  anticipation  that  no  more  active,  disinterested 
or  pious  clergyman  ever  labored  among  the  Germans  and 
Dutch  during  the  trying  colonial  period  than  this  same 
Justus  Falckner. 


70 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


After  the  ordination  services  were  over,  a  diploma,  such 
as  was  used  in  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  at  that  day, 
was  filled  out  in  due  form,  and  laid  upon  the  altar  before 
which  the  ordination  had  taken  place,  and  there  was  signed 
and  sealed  by  the  three  officiating  clergymen,  after  which  it 
was  handed  to  the  newly  ordained  presbyter.    It  ended  thus  : 

"  They,  indeed,  who  have  been  legitimately  called  to 
this  holy  office,  can  enjoy  a  tranquil  conscience,  and  re- 
member their  call  not  without  peculiar  consolation,  and  by 
it,  as  a  shield,  protect  themselves  against  all  the  darts  of 
adversities.  In  their  number  the  most  eminent  and  most 
excellent  Master  Justus  Falckner,  is  to  be  reckoned,  who 
being  in  due  form  and  order  inducted  into  Holy  orders  by 
prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  this  24th  day  of 
November  was  set  apart  for  the  Ministry  of  the  Church, 
we  pray  God  to  deign  to  add  success  to  the  office  and  daily 
to  increase  to  the  new  Minister  the  gifts  that  have  been 
bestowed,  to  the  glory  of  His  name,  the  welfare  of  the 
Church  and  his  servants  profit. 

"  Given  on  the  day  of  his  inauguration  in  the  year  1703 
at  Wicaco  in  Pennsylvania  " 


Andrew  Rudman, 
formerly  pastor  at  Wicaco,  afterwards  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  New  York,  and  now  about 
returning  to  his  native  land  ; 

Erick  Biorck, 
Pastor  of  the  church  at  Christiana ; 

Andrew  Sandel, 
Pastor  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Wicacoa  in 
Pennsylvania. 


As  Dominie. 


71 


Thus  the  new  dominie  was  sent  out  to  minister  in  the 
adjoining  Provinces  ;  and  to  the  Orthodox  Lutheran  Church 
in  Pennsylvania  is  due  to  the  honor  of  having  ordained 
and  sent  out  the  first  man,  a  native  of  Saxony,  for  domestic 
missions  in  the  western  world  ;  who  was  to  labor,  not  alone 
among  those  of  his  own  kith  and  kin,  but  among  people 
who  used  a  European  tongue  foreign  to  his  own. 


M^  pdLiA 


PORTRAIT  OF  REV.  NICHOLAS  COLLIN,  D.D.,  THE  LAST  OF  THE  LONG  LINE 
OF  SWEDISH  MINISTERS  WHO  SERVED  ON  THE  DELAWARE. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


Dominie  Falckner  in  New  York. 


2)' 


kOMINIE  FALCK- 
NER at  once  made 
preparations  to  enter  upon 
his  new  field  of  labor.  He 
arrived  in  New  York  city 
on  Thursday,  the  second 
of  December,  or  just  eight 
days  after  his  ordination. 
After  preaching  on  the 
third  and  fourth  Sundays 
in  Advent,  he  was  accepted 
as  their  regular  pastor  by 
the  oldest  Lutheran  con- 
gregation in  America. 
Immediately  upon  his 
acceptance  of  the  charge  Dominie  Falckner  deposited  his 
diploma  of  ordination  among  the  archives  of  the  church. 
Unfortunately,  this,  together  with  other  documents  of  the 
colonial  period  deposited  within  the  church,  are  now  miss- 
ing, and  have  evidently  long  since  been  lost  or  destroyed. 

(72) 


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In  Nezv   York.  73 

Possibly  no  document  has  been  so  diligently  and  per- 
sistently sought  for  by  historians  and  investigators  than 
this  diploma,  as  its  historical  value  to  the  Lutheran  and 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 
The  search,  however,  seemed  hopeless,  although  reports 
were  repeatedly  made,  notably  by  a  western  writer,  that  the 
coveted  document  had  been  seen  and  in  one  instance  se- 
cured. Upon  investigation,  however,  these  stories  proved 
delusive. 

During  the  past  summer,  however,  it  was  the  good  for- 
tune of  the  writer  to  examine  a  number  of  papers,  sent  to 
Holland  by  the  New  York  Congregation,  among  which  was 
a  copy  of  this  very  document  in  Justus  Falckner's  own 
handwriting  together  with  the  correspondence  which  led 
to  his  acceptance  of  the  charge,  also  a  minute  account  of 
the  affairs  as  they  were  during  his  pastorate. 

DOM.    falckner's    NOTICE    TO    AMSTERDAM    CONSISTORY. 

One  of  the  first  official  acts  performed  by  Dominie  Falck- 
ner  after  his  arrival  in  New  York,  was  to  send  a  report  and 
copy  of  his  ordination  to  the  Lutheran  Consistory  at  Am- 
sterdam, under  whose  patronage  the  church  in  New  York 
was  established  and  to  whom  they  looked  for  assistance 
and  encouragement. 

While  in  Holland  during  the  past  summer,  the  writer, 
in  conversation  with  Rev.  J.  Nicum,  D.D.,  learned  that 
in  the  archive  room  of  the  old  Lutheran  church  in  Am- 
sterdam there  were  bundles  of  old  papers  and  reports,  un- 
classified, nor  even  their  contents  known.    Acting  upon  this 


74  DoJtiinie  Justus  Falckner. 

hint  another  visit  was  paid  to  that  northern  Venice,  and  by 
good  fortune  access  was  obtained  to  the  archives  of  the 
church.  In  wading  through  a  mass  of  papers,  a  bundle  of 
old,  yellow,  time-stained  folio  sheets  were  found  —  they  were 
in  the  handwriting  of  Justus  Falckner  — the  first  was  a  copy 
of  his  ordination,  the  second  copies  of  the  letters  of  Rud- 
man  and  Biorck  before  quoted.  There  were  also  reports 
from  the  congregation  and  other  letters. 

By  courtesy  of  the  clergy  of  the  church,  notably  Rev. 
Dr.  P.  van  Wijk,  Jr.,  and  Captain  A.  F.  P.  Carstens,  of 
the  corporation,  photographic  copies  were  obtained  of  the 
most  important  papers  and  certified  written  copies  of  the 
others. 

A  facsimile  of  Justus  Falckner's  copy  of  the  original  or- 
dination is  now  for  the  first  time  presented  to  the  American 
reader.  The  writer  will  also  state  that  this  has  since  been 
certified  to  as  correct  and  authentic  by  the  highest  Lutheran 
Episcopal  authorities  of  Sweden. 

The  first  record  made  by  him  in  the  Kercken-Boeck,  or 
church  register,  shortly  after  his  arrival  sets  forth  the  facts 
of  his  call  in  Dutch,  with  a  short  prayer  in  classical  Latin. 

Anno  Christi  — 1703.  ten  2'  December,  ben  Ick  Justus 
Falckner,  gebooren  in  Sassen  in  Germania  tot  Langen- 
Reinsdorff  onder  het  Ampt  Zwickau,  van  Philadelphia  hier 
in  Newyorck  nae  voorgaende  Beroepinge,  aenge  komen, 
en  hebbe  den  derden  Advents  Sondagh  twee  Praedicatien 
in  de  Lutherische  Kercke  allhier  gehouden  ;  Diesglycken 
oock  den  vierten  Advents  Sondagh :  Daerop  ben  ick  van 
het  Consistorium  der  Christelycken  Protestantischen  Luther- 
ischen  Gemeene,  tot  haer  ordentlycke  Pastor  en  Leraer 
aengenomen  wordten ! 

[In  the  name  of  Jesus.  In  the  year  of  Christ,  1703,  on 
the  second  of  December,  I  Justus  Falckner,  born  in  Saxony, 


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His  Invocation.  75 

Germany,  at  Langen-Reinsdorff ,  in  the  district  of  Zwickau, 
came  to  Philadelphia,  thence  to  New  York,  after  previous 
invitation.  On  the  third  Sunday  after  advent  I  delivered 
two  sermons  in  the  Lutheran  Church  here.  I  did  the  same 
on  the  fourth  Sunday  after  Advent.  Thereupon  I  was  re- 
ceived by  the  Consistorium  of  the  Christian  Protestant  Lu- 
theran Congregation  as  their  regular  pastor  and  teacher.] 

Then  follows  the  invocation  : 

'■'■  Detis  Ter  Optimus  Alaxi^no  qui  tntrusit  me  kanc  in 
messeni,  adsit  speciali  sua  gratia  miki  operario  abjecto  et  ad- 
moduni  infirmo,  sine  qua  -pcreunduni  mihi  est  sub  mole  ten- 
tationum,  quae  me  sacpius  obrufit.  In  Te,  Domine,  speravi, 
non  sinas  me  confu7idi!  Redde  me  ad  vocationem  meam 
a-ptum;  non  cucurri,  sed  misisti,  intrusisti ;  interim  quic- 
quid  in  me  inscio  corrupta  admiscucrii  natura  reniitte ;  da 
veniam  humilitcr  dcprecanti,  per  Dominum  nostrum,  imo 
meum  Jesum  Christum.     Amen." 

[God,  the  Father  of  all  mercy,  and  Lord  of  great  maj- 
esty, who  has  sent  me  into  this  harvest,  be  with  me,  thy 
lowly  and  ever-feeble  laborer,  with  thy  special  grace, 
without  which  I  should  perish  under  the  burden  of  tempta- 
tion which  often  overcomes  me  with  its  might.  In  thee, 
O  Lord,  have  I  trusted ;  let  me  not  be  confounded. 
Strengthen  me  in  my  calling.  I  did  not  seek  it,  but  thou 
hast  sent  me,  yea,  placed  me  in  the  office.  Meanwhile 
wouldst  thou  grant  remission  for  whatsoever,  without  my 
knowledge,  a  corrupt  nature  has  introduced  within  me,  and 
forgive  and  pardon  me  upon  my  humble  supplication, 
through  our  Lord,  yea,  my  Jesus  Christ.     Amen.] 

Kyacsifuile  of  this  interesting  entry  is  also  reproduced ; 
it  was  photographed  from  the  original  by  the  present 
writer. 

The  time  when  Pastor  Falckner  arrived  in  New  York  was 


76  Dotiiinie  Justus  Falckner. 

/cJim,,-e/>v  /oik  "k/n  ^W  k^n^_  S^d^  -^iWt  9ySiccl{Uau. 

^en  OhXA-^W^^^y^Ws*  S^tr^oMii  .'    ^cWrtyp.  fen  tok.  'vu.yi.  ^uj- 
CcnJiff<rri:u)n.S)er  CW^^V^^  -JWe/^nteW  ZuMsMjiax^ 

WJCf^t^'trtr,  .     CZleuS  Ttf  OiiUrtiu-ff  cMc^^ix   cj\n  w-fi-uM  nte.  fi£nc  >^  ftcMn, 
Ciru,  Oam  flZrwtM^uA.  mJU  dt,  iiM  ynAn  i^jnuA^o-rvvAn.  .  a  iret  }n£.y:2£fh^ 
<Ut>  'l«ra.'f^»niitij_ni-£^v>ri  CLji-ftiyn,  '^  n^n  Cucu^rn  •  CS  -rrU^Jk  ,  rn.lnJi'/h': 

FAC-SIMILE    OF  JUSTUS  FALCKNER's  FIRST    ENTRY    IN   THE    CHURCH  REGISTER    AT   NEW  YORK. 

far  from  being  a  propitious  one,  as  the  settlers  were  in  con- 
stant fear  of  attack  by  both  sea  and  land.^ 

The  Hudson  Valley  from  one  end  to  the  other  was  men- 
aced by  the  enemy.  All  residents  were  forced  to  be  con- 
stantly prepared  to  defend  their  life  and  propertj^  by  water 
as  well  as  land. 

Two  members  of  the  church  council,  Church  Warden 
(Eldcstc)  Jan  Hendrick  and  Vestryman  (  Vorsteher)  Pieter 

•'This  was  during  the  war  of  the  Spanish  succession,  in  which  England 
was  engaged  against  France. 


Official  Signature. 


77 


van  Woglom,  with  whom  the  new  pastor  made  his  home, 
were  military  officers.  The  former  was  a  major  of  infan- 
try, a  highlj'  respected  man,  who  well  appreciated  the  seri- 
ous aspect  of  the  general  situation. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  Church  Warden  Andreas  van 


c 


rAC\  >n 


^mttic<\^'. 


OFFICIAL    SIGNATURE   OF    DOMINIE   FALCKNKR. 


Boskerk  ;  Vorsteher  and  Overseer  {kirch-meister')  Laur  van 
Boskerk  ;  the  sacristans  Hanns  La  Grangie  and  Joh.  Viet, 
with  Samuel  Beekman,  reader  and  sexton,  all  were  liable 
to  military  duty  when  the  occasion  required  their  services. 

At  the  other  end  of  his  ex- 
tended territory,  church  af- 
fairs were,  if  anything,  at  a 
still  lower  ebb.  Pastor  Falck- 
ner,  upon  his  first  visit  to  Al- 
bany, found  the  congregation 
there  virtually  disbanded.  A 
small  and  dilapidated  house 
was  called  by  courtesy  a 
church,  and  the  membership 
scattered  without  officers  or 
organization.  It  was  not  until  June,  1705,  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  effecting  a  permanent  organization. 

As  for  any  regular  stipend  in  either  place,  none  was  in 
prospect.  Church  finances  were  at  so  low  an  ebb  that  bare 
promises  were  not  even  made  looking  towards  the  pastor's 
sustenance.     A  reliable  account  that  has  come  down  to  our 


SEAL  OF  NEW  YORK,  A.D.   1703. 


78 


Doininie  Justus  F'alckner. 


time  informs  us  that  the  situation  for  a  time  was  even  worse 
in  New  York  than  elsewhere. 

Dominie  Falckner  must  indeed  have  been  a  courageous 
man  as  well  as  a  pious  one  to  enter  upon  this  extended 
field,  which  he  eventually  enlarged  by  serving  all  the  Ger- 
mans along  the  Hudson  and  in  East  Jersey,  from  the 
Hackensack  in  Bergen  County  to  the  valley  of  the  Raritan, 
without  any  prospect  of  remuneration.  Another  fact  to  be 
taken  into  consideration,  and  one  that  proves  more  than 
anything  else  how  earnest,  faithful  and  diligent  he  was,  is 
that  he  came  here  an  entire  stranger,  among  people  whose 
tongue  was  somewhat  different  from  his  own,  and  in  the 
face  of   the  direct  opposition   of   the  resident   Reformed 

clergy  and  laity,  who  were  then 
numerically  in  the  majority,  and 
received  their  sustenance  from  the 
Amsterdam  Classis. 

One  of  the  first  things  done  by 
our  pious  evangelist  was  to  issue  a 
call  for  a  meeting  at  the  house  of 
his  landlord,  of  the  "  Protestant 
Christian  Congregation*'  adhering 
to  the  unaltered  Augsburg  Confes- 
sion," to  take  into  consideration 
the  dire  necessities  of  the  church. 
At  this  meeting,  after  some  desul- 
tory discussion,  it  was  resolved  to  send  out  circular  letters 
asking  for  assistance.  These  letters  were  signed  by  Falck- 
ner and  the  church  officers.  Four  were  sent  to  the 
Swedish  Lutheran  brethren  in  the  South.'"     A  fifth  cir- 

2'  Christliche  Protestantischen  Gemeinde,  der  ungednderten  Augsburg- 
isclien  Confession  zugethan. 

'"On  the  Delaware  River,  viz.,  at  Wicaco,  Christiana  and  Penn's  Neck 
and  Racoon  in  New  Jersey. 


OFFICIAL  SEAL  OF  THE 
NEW  YORK  CONGREGATION 
USED  BY  RUDMAN  AND 
FALCKNER. 


1703-MEMORIAL   OF   DOM.   JUSTUS   FALCKNER-1 903. 


TRINITY   EV.   LUTHERAN   CHURCH,    1729-1784. 


(after     RUOE    SKETCH    MADE     I74ci.  ) 


FORMERLY   S.   W.    CORNER    BROADWAY   AND    RECTOR   STREETS. 
DEDICATED   JUNE   29,    1729,    BY    REVS.    DANIEL   FALCKNER   AND    BERKENMEYER. 


Appeals  for  Aid.  79 

cular  was  addressed  personally  to  Magister  Rudman,  ask- 
ing his  intercession  in  their  behalf  with  the  Germans  and 
English  in  Pennsylvania.  Still  later  a  similar  circular, 
with  special  reference  to  the  ruinous  condition  of  the 
church,  was  sent  to  the  Dutch  Lutherans  on  the  Island  of 
St.  Thomas  in  the  West  Indies. 

Subsequently  a  sum  of  money  was  received  in  response 
to  this  last  appeal,  but  unfortunately  with  the  proviso  that 
it  was  to  be  used  only  towards  building  a  new  church.^' 

Here  a  new  complication  arose  :  the  money  was  badly 
needed  for  congregational  purposes,  and  so  was  a  new 
church  building,  but  during  the  prevailing  financial  strin- 
gency there  was  no  way  of  supplementing  the  amount 
received  so  as  to  make  it  available. 

In  this  dilemma  another  congregational  meeting  was 
convened  by  Dominie  Falckner  at  the  house  of  Reader 
Beekman,  where  it  was  resolved  that  the  old  building 
should  be  made  tenantable  with  moneys  to  be  collected  by 

"The  first  Lutheran  church  in  New  York  was  built  outside  of  the  Cit- 
adel about  where  Bowling  Green  now  is.  When  New  York  came  once 
more  into  the  possession  of  the  Dutch,  this  building  was  razed  for  military 
reasons,  in  lieu  of  which  a  lot  was  given  the  congregation  at  what  is  now 
the  S.  W.  Cor.  Broadway  and  Rector  Street  extending  back  to  the  North 
River.  The  first  church  upon  this  site  served  the  congregation  until  1729, 
when  a  new  building  was  erected,  mainly  by  the  efforts  of  Daniel  Falckner. 
A  rude  drawing  of  this  church  has  been  found  by  the  writer  from  which  the 
picture  on  the  opposite  page  was  drawn. 

July  6,  1784,  the  congregation  having  substituted  the  German  for  the 
Dutch  tongue,  united  with  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  known  as  the 
Swamp  congregation,  and  assumed  the  name  "The  Corporation  of  the 
United  German  Lutheran  Churches  of  New  York,"  the  services  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  church  at  Frankfort  and  William  Streets.  About  1826  the 
united  congregation  moved  to  Walker  Street  near  Broadway. 

By  a  special  act  of  the  legislature,  passed  March  29,  1866,  the  name 
was  changed  to  "The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  St.  Mat- 
thew.'' A  spacious  church  was  secured  at  the  N.  E.  Cor.  of  Broome  and 
Elizabeth  Streets,  where  the  congregation  now  worship  so. 


8o 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


the  church-wardens,  while  the  St.  Thomas  funds  were  to 
remain  intact  and  be  kept  as  the  nucleus  of  a  building 
fund  for  a  future  church. ^- 

In  an  old  report  to  the  Amsterdam  Consistory  we  find 
the  following  graphic  description  of  the  Lutheran  church 
as  Dominie  Justus  Falckner  found  it. 

"The  church  we  fear  will  be  demolished  by  the  first 
heavy  storm,  it  is  more  like  unto  a  cattle  shed  than  a  house 
of  God,  only  two  windows  are  in  the  building,  one  is  back 
of  the  pulpit,  .and  the  other  directly  opposite.  As  the 
church  is  not  paved,  but  merely  floored  with  loose  boards, 
some  long,  others  short,  one  cannot  pass  through  it  with- 
out stumbling."  Such  was  the  humble  sanctuary  as  the 
young  Dominie  found  it ;  however,  he  was  far  from  being 
discouraged,  and  in  1705  the  following  report  was  sent  to 
the  Consistory  at  Amsterdam  :  ^ 

52  The  second  church  was  not  built  until  some  years  after  Justus  Falck- 
ner's  death,  and  then  only  by  the  personal  etforts  of  his  brother  Daniel 
Vide  page  79,  supra. 

"F/rfe  Chapter  XI. 


GLORiA  DEI,  A.  D.   170O. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


Report  to  Amsterdam. 

New  York,  g''  lo,  1705. 

ME,  the  Pastor,  Elders  and 
Deacons  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal Protestant  Congregation  still  at- 
tached to  the  unaltered  Augsburg 
Confession  at  New  York  and  sur- 
rounding places,  wish  mercy  and 
blessing  in  and  through  Christ  to 
the  very  Reverend,  God  devoted, 
very  respectable,  highly  learned 
and  very  provident  Lords,  the 
Lords  Pastors,  Elders  and  Deacons,  and  all  worthy  mem- 
bers of  the  highly  commendable  Consistory  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Protestant  Church  attached  to  the  unaltered  Augs- 
burg Confession,  at  Amsterdam. 

Very  Reverend,  Much  favored  Lords,  and,  in  Christ 
our  common  Saviour,  Dear  brethren  : 

We  should  deserve  the  name  of  uncivil  and  ungrateful 
people  if  we  did  not  often  refresh  ourselves  with  the  mem- 
ory of  your  zeal  and  care  for  the  true  Evangelical  Prot- 
estant Church  in  this  country  and  did  not  arduously  apply 
ourselves  to  inculcate  the  same  in  our  children  and  descend- 

(Si) 


82  Do7ntnic  Justus  Falckner. 

ants,  that  you  and  your  sainted  Lords  Predecessors'  mem- 
ory may  remain  in  blessing  with  us  in  this  new  world.  It 
is  you,  conjointly  with  your  respective  forefathers,  who, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  have  largely  contributed  in  times  past 
by  sending  us  godfearing  learned  and  faithful  Shepherds 
to  gather  a  flock  into  that  Sheepfold  over  which  you  also 
were  appointed  Shepherds  by  the  Arch-shepherd  Christ 
Jesus.  You  are  those  faithful  Stewards  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ  who,  by  supplying  Laborers,  have  promoted 
God's  Husbandry  in  this  wilderness. 

All  sheep  who  by  this  means  have  been  saved  from  error 
and  perdition  in  this  wilderness  will  call  you  blessed.  The 
wheat  which  through  your  succor  and  care  has  been  gath- 
ered into  the  barns  of  our  heavenly  Father,  shall  in  the  day 
of  the  everlasting  and  infinite  life  not  leave  you  hungry. 
Isaiah  95  :  13.  Blessed  and  consecrated  hands  which  are 
helpful  in  sowing  good  seed,  whilst  otherwise  weeds  and 
thorns  grow  up,  injuring  the  good  soil  and  making  neglect- 
ful servants  suffer  for  their  Indolence,  with  soreness  and 
wounding  of  hands  which  were  unwilling  to  be  instru- 
mental in  nurturing  those  plants  of  the  Heavenly  Father. 

And  because  we  firmly  believe  that  you  still  bear  a 
hearty  affection  towards  our  little  Christian  Congregation, 
we,  in  all  due  Respect,  will  on  this  good  occasion  give  you 
briefly  to  understand  the  situation  and  condition  of  our 
said  Congregation. 

It  is  well  known  to  you  respectively  that,  since  the  death 
of  the  sainted  Mr.  Bernhardus  Arentius,  we  have  been 
many  years  without  Pastor.  Hence  it  is  that  our  Congre- 
gation has  become  dispersed,  the  young  people  and  many 
of  the  older  ones  have  gone  over  to  the  so-called  Reformed 
Sect,  until,  three  years  ago,  at  our  request,  a  Swedish  min- 
ister, Mr.  Andreas  Rudmann  from  Pennsylvania,  came 
over  but  remained  with  us  only  a  little  over  a  year  on 


Reports  to  Amsterdam.  83 

account  of  the  opportunity  calling  him  elsewhere.  He 
did,  however,  not  leave  us  until  by  his  zeal  he  had  per- 
suaded another  person,  who  had  already  been  living  for 
some  years  in  this  country,  to  have  himself  at  our  formal 
request  and  call  appointed  as  our  present  regular  Pastor. 
He  is  by  birth  a  German,  from  Saxony,  where  he  studied 
Theology,  and  was,  according  to  Christian  custom  and 
habit  of  our  Evangelical  Church,  ordained  to  the  holy 
Office  by  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Ministerium  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  24th  of  November  1703.  He  has  been  with 
us  now  for  nearly  two  years,  and  fills  his  office  in  such  a 
manner  that  neither  we  nor  anyone  else  has  anything  to 
remark  on  his  life  and  work. 

Our  congregation  here  is  very  small,  because  its  mem- 
bers are  dispersed  far  and  near  throughout  the  country ; 
the  majority  of  them  are  poor  and  many,  especially  the 
young  people,  ignorant  on  account  of  the  lack  of  Bibles, 
Catechisms,  Psalm  and  Hymn  books,  and  it  would  be  of 
great  service  here  to  have  a  pamphlet  in  which,  by  means 
of  short  questions  and  answers,  the  difference  between  the 
Lutheran  and  the  so-called  Reformed  opinions  were  ex- 
posed, every  point  thus  concluding,  "  Therefore  the  Luth- 
eran opinion  is  the  better  one." 

Notwithstanding  the  smallness  of  the  salary  (our  present 
Pastor  is  satisfied  with  it)  it  is  hard  and  difficult  to  bring  it 
together.  Our  church-building  also  is  very  much  out  of 
repair  and  will  not  long  be  suitable  for  the  holy  service,  so 
that  we  may  decide  to  build  a  small  new  church  if  God 
will  move  more  such  good  hearts  as  our  Lutheran  fellow- 
believers  at  St.  Thomas  in  the  West-Indies  have  proved  to 
be  who  sent  us,  as  a  beginning,  three  hundred  pieces  of 
eight  some  months  ago. 

We  are  the  only  Dutch  Lutheran  Congregation  in 
America  that  is  yet  all  right,  and  it  would  be  a  thousand 


84  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

pities  and  unwarrantable,  if  it  can  be  helped,  to  let  this 
single  little  spark  be  extinguished  by  those  owls  who  hate 
the  light,  especially  since  we  enjoy,  through  the  high  laud- 
able English  government,  every  kind  of  Protection  and 
good-will,  and  because  there  is  hope  that  this  our  congre- 
gation, if  supported  only  a  little  at  first,  will  in  this  Coun- 
try rejuvinate  itself  as  an  Eagle  and  be  an  asylum  to  many 
wandering  and  erring  souls. 

We  do  not  doubt  but  you  will  take  to  heart  our  sad  con- 
dition—  the  sad  condition  of  a  congregation  which  Christ 
has  bought  with  his  own  blood  —  and  as  a  loving  foster- 
mother  not  deny  us  the  breasts  of  your  love,  care  and  com- 
fort. We  do  not  pra}'  that  your  abundance  may  serve  our 
wants,  but  the  wants  of  a  portion  of  the  Body  of  Christ  who 
in  the  day  of  judgment  will  to  you  also  say,  "  as  ye  have 
done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  you  have 
done  it  unto  me."  We  do  not  speak  for  ourselves  and  our 
private  interests,  but  for  the  Church  of  Christ ;  we  cannot 
but  obtain  a  hearing  from  such  eminent  sustainers  of  the 
same  as  we  know  you  respectively  to  be,  and  in  firm  con- 
fidence hold  all  of  you  as  such.  Thus  we  commend  the 
same  to  the  Grace,  Love  and  Mercy  of  the  great  God  and 
our  Saviour  J.  C.  ;  assuring  you  that  with  all  due  respect 
and  true  sincerity  of  heart  we  sign  and  remain 

Very  Reverend  and  Much  favored  Lords, 

Your  very  devoted  Servants,  Friends  and  Brethren, 
(Signed)  Justus  Falckner,  Past.  Loci, 
"         P.  Bruyns, 

♦'     JOHANNIS  LaGRANSIE, 
"     JOHANN  ViELT, 

"        JoHAN  Michael  ScHiJTZ,^ 

"  PlETER    WOGLOM. 


"This  Joh.  Mich.  Schiitz  was   the  father-in-law  of  Van  Dieren. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


A  Rare  Bradford  Imprint. 


-^^HE  Reformed  Church  in  New 
^^  York  was  in  far  better  finan- 
cial condition  and  at  first  it  seems 
strange  that  no  assistance  was  prof- 
fered or  vouchsafed  by  them  to  the 
Lutherans.  At  this  time  there  was 
considerable  friction  in  the  colony 
between  the  Dutch  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  congregations.  The 
estrangement  was  partly  caused 
by  the  orthodoxy  of  the  Lutheran 
pastor  and  his  close  adherence  to  the  unaltered  Augsburg 
Confession. ^^  Discussions  were  indulged  in,  not  only  by 
the  rival  pastors,  but  by  the  individual  members  as  well, 
and  heated  arguments  often  resulted. 

To  place  his  people  in  a  position  the  better  to  uphold 
their  faith  and  controvert  the  arguments  of  the  Reformed, 
Dominie  Falckner  prepared  a  little  book  in  the  colloquial 
style  of  the  period,  in  which  he   attempted  to  fortify  his 


"  Vide  footnote,  page  7S. 


(Ss) 


86  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

readers  by  quotations  from  the  Scriptures  against  what  he 
designated  "  Calvinistic  errors." 

This  book,  printed  by  William  Bradford,  was  in  the 
low  Dutch  language,  and  was  the  first  Orthodox  Lutheran 
text-book  published  in  America.  Falckner  was  the  second 
Lutheran  clergyman  to  avail  himself  of  the  Bradford  press  ; 
his  predecessor  having  been  Heinrich  Bernhard  Koster, 
in  1695.'^ 

The  title  of  this  work  reads  as  follows  : 

"Fundamental  Instruction  |  upon  |  certain  chief  |  promi- 
nent articles  of  the  |  Veritable,  undefiled,  Beatifical  |  Chris- 
tian Doctrine,  |  founded  upon  the  basis  of  the  Apostles  and 
Prophets  of  which  |  Jesus  Christus  |  is  the  corner-stone,  ] 
expounded  in  plain,  but  edifying  |  Questions  and  Answers. 
I  By  I  Justus  Falckner,  Saxo  |  Germanus,  Minister  of  the 
Christian  |  Protestant  so-called  Lutheran  |  Congregation  at 
N.  York  and  Albany.  |  Printed  in  New  York  by  W.  Brad- 
fordt,  I  1708. 

A  facsimile  of  this  title  page  is  reproduced  upon  a  fol- 
lowing page.  The  original  is  in  the  collection  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Historical  Society. 

In  the  preface,  which  is  also  in  Dutch,  the  compiler 
commits  himself  absolutely  to  the  symbolism  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  the  confession  of  the  fathers;  "which  con- 
fession," he  continues,  "and  faith  by  the  grace  of  God, 
and  the  conviction  of  His  Word  and  Spirit,  lives  also  in 
me,  and  shall  remain  there  until  my  blissful  end." 

He  further  states  that  it  is  to  be  distinctly  understood 
that  the  contents  of  this  book  are  to  be  taken  in  strict  con- 
formity with  the  teachings,  confession  and  faith  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  to  which  his  parents  and  grandparents 

"Vide  Dr.  Schmauk's  "Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania,"  1638- 
1800,  and  Sachse's  "  German  Pietists." 


Publishes   Text-book.  87 

belonged.  He  continues  :  "Both  my  grandfathers,  paternal 
and  maternal,  as  well  as  my  father,  were  found  worthy  by 
the  grace  of  God  to  serve  in  the  holy  priesthood  of  his 
aggressive  church." 

The  body  of  the  book  consists,  as  before  stated,  of  a 
series  of  questions  and  answers.  The  last  two  pages  are 
taken  up  with  hymns.  The  first,  of  three  stanzas  of  ten 
lines  each,  is  a  Dutch  translation  of  Luther's  hymn,  "  Wir 
glaubcn  all  an  eincm  Gotf."  This  is  followed  by  a  hymn  to 
be  sung  before  the  sermon,  which  has  four  stanzas  of  four 
lines  each.  The  last  one  is  a  hj'mn  of  two  stanzas  of 
twelve  lines  each.  These  are  evidently  of  his  own  com- 
position and  without  doubt  are  the  first  original  hymns 
published  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.^' 

The  whole  book  is  remarkable  for  its  orthodoxy,  and  it 
attracted  the  attention  of  leading  divines  in  Germany. 
The  celebrated  Loscher,  in  his  "Continuations"  for  1726, 
designates  this  text-book  as  a  Co7nfendium.  DoctrincB  Anti- 
Calvinianum. 

It  certainly  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  Dominie  Falckner, 
with  his  widespread  field  of  labor,  that  he  should  have 
found  time  to  compile  the  above  book.  How  earnestly  he 
felt  for  the  charges  under  his  care  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  he  invited  his  elder  brother  Daniel  to  leave  Pennsyl- 
vania and  take  charge  of  the  scattered  German  and  Dutch 
congregations  in  East  Jersey. 

Although  the  chief  centers  of  his  activity  were  Albany 
and  New  York,  we  find  this  untiring  missionary  establish- 
ing preaching  stations  at  various  widely  distant  points  in 
the  Hudson  Valley.  Geographically  speaking,  his  charge 
was  divided  into  two  parts :  one  south,  the  other  north  of 

"No  traces  of  these  hymns  are  to  be  found  in  the  older  Lutheran  hym- 
nals accessible  to  the  writer. 


88  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


GRONDLYCKE  ONDERRICHT 

VAN  ] 

Sckcrc  Voornamc  Hoofd-ftacVen,  dcr 
Wtren,  Loutcm,  SaU|inak£Qdon, 

Chriftelycken  Leere, 

Gcgrondct  op  den  Grondc  van  dc  Apo- 
di^Xtti  CD  Prophetea,  dacr 

dc  HOECK-STEEN. 

I  S. 

Angcwcfca  In  ecnvoudigc,  d<^  ftlgtlyc5« 

Vragen  en  ^ntwoQrdejt^ 

Door 

JUSTUS  FALCKNER,  Saj*^ 

GfrruantdSy  Miniftcr  dcr  Chnftclyckcfi 

Pr«t«ftaatfcB  GcDHemtCB  LctherrchiiB 

Gcmctateu  H  Tetktu  Aibanen^ 

&c. 

Pfal.  II9.V.  1O4.   {Cod)  n  ^oort  matckj  raf 
Ki»etk\  d^terorahtnt  iclialle  va/frht  iVefei^ 

Gtdruckt  tt  Nicovt-York  by  W.  Bradfordlj, 


I  708 


TITLE  OF  FIRST    LUTHERAN    TEXT -BOOK    PRINTED  IN  AMERICA.       ORIGINAL 
IN   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY   OF   PENNSYLVANIA. 


As  ail  American  Hymnist.  89 


4,  %^  ^rftlCl^jTf ,  ^ptff6!>»0l««t 
©[!?  }pn  tWrfaetiif  «n  o^m  ,!I9arm  : 
BDtea  Dan  m  't  lutacrn  t>«n  mf,  ^fer, 
flCngrrft  oajr  atnticftttot  ote  Ifec. 

;,  ^pl  ge  (&tr&,  ons  ta  toartlt^efD  ttflta 
QStDS  Dimttrfi  moBUt  rh  tcms  bftir^Or : 
a,tEt  V  totojbt  too?  H'objm  'f  Vtt  inguiib 
fSn  l)r!p  0ns  Sera  na  uts  bhroiftpii,^ 

4.  I^rrr,  onf  <DoT)t  bobea  a(  tiumiftt 
^n  Bne  prrfoene^  s'oprnbirrt) 
123?  bieflen  5a  t;Jtt'I?rk  tTaojen, 
^erbwtt  &oct>  tttfl  onfe  letO' ;   2ati» 

«■  II  I     I I     »^— 

T_T®et  CFo^tUfB  ttoiito  mrt  fCnirt*  brrlfHl 
jri  Co  fc!)k*,  Hjn  Ijtfl^gpn  «Dtc8  «rt  teij| 
^if  ons  He  toaet^ftJttt  leet* ; 
Cb  Qctff  tt;OanM.  I)n:t,  fls,  ^ht  C'dl^ 
E)«t  ons  QtD  ?iI2H0o;T)f  nttt  \f  itn.  f  ^, 
f^cr  CBntfcl)  tut  l&  bftrrtr» 

W*x  %v(fi  tori  fd^itlk  tof  tttmi  p;fK» 
.   ai  oafcloM*  n»  latffl ; 
fjaiat '^nl'reB  warfi,  »ftt  ftlljrterttts 
QSQat  boo;«<int  «arl^,  >iif  {itrff  btfjraSfi 
"fef  toanylm  vrvbt  fratnt. 

^,  (S«  fiuur  t%i  tori'  l^fr  ^j;  «m  rfSR 
on?  tortrn  Mirt  1^    fr»t  fu«f< 

^affttrm  oiife  SNigrt.   ^,  ^  .„ 

tuftt,  »'Ioof,  t»?rftf,  tnre^tt<tf8*tilliftiBtP 
f^nr  oas  ato  CrrS,  tie  dnf  nfcttttl  Mitfe 
.  S)at  tpti  1^1?  mrt  «i'0agfn« 

jKkioft  tDtr'U  CM* trootonftt  ton 
i  ffit  fp  ong  *irt  tJeibfinBe : 
^  Derf  uyt  ffii  3Partn1^rttrjft"r^ 
Cfon  JM  9»rf  Boor  te  0il<fI>^B|( 
«»  ^ip  OKI  fsMS^  i^  a**^ 


total 


FAC-SIMILE  OF  THE  FIRST  ORIGINAL  HYMN  PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


go  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson.  Falckner  was  wont  to  serve 
the  former  in  the  summer  season,  and  the  latter  during  the 
winter  months.  During  the  summer,  in  addition  to  his  city 
charge,  he  served  the  congregations  at  Hackensack,  Rari- 
tan,  Remmerspack,  Piscataway,  and  Elizabethtown  in  East 
New  Jersey. 

His  activity  extended  along  the  whole  valley  of  the  Hud- 
son from  New  York  to  Albany  and  included  Loonenburg 
(Athens),  Klickenberg,  Four  Mile  Point,  Coxsackie,  Kin- 
derhook,  Calverack  and  Phillipsborough.  Wherever  Dutch 
or  German  Lutherans  settled  there  Dominie  Falckner  was 
found  plying  his  sacred  calling.  To  the  above  must  be 
added  the  German  congregations  founded  after  the  large 
immigration  had  set  in  during  the  early  years  of  Queen 
Anne's  reign,  which  were  served  in  their  native  tongue  by 
the  zealous  evangelist. 

This  latter  duty  became  especially  onerous  during  the 
absence  of  the  German  Pastor,  Rev.  Josua  Kocherthal,  and 
his  subsequent  death  in  1719,  when  the  German  Lutheran 
congregations  at  Quassaik,  Rosenthal,  Schawanggunk, 
Langen  Rack,  Newtown,  Tarbush,  Qjieensbury,  Rhine- 
beck  and  Schoharie  were  all  visited  by  Falckner  at  more 
or  less  regular  intervals. 

Among  the  papers  relating  to  the  Palatines,  published  in 
vol.  iii.  of  the  "  Documentary  History  of  New  York,"  is 
found  the  following  notice:  '■'■  Litra  B.  In  the  Books  by 
our  Church,^'  Fol.  28,  is  to  be  found  that  our  then  minister 
Justus  Falkenier  has  baptized  Ao  17 10  Ye  19th  April  in 
the  house  of  one  of  the  Trustees,  of  which  Time  he  has 
continued  to  serve  the  People  there  every  year  without  any 
Profit  of  the  Glebe." 

That  these   stations  were  not  merely  small  hamlets  or 

"On  Quassaik  Creek  in  Ulster  County. 


The   Old  ^uassaick   Church. 


91 


M 


92 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


isolated  farm-houses,  is  shown  by  the  entries  in  his  register, 
as  he  frequently  upon  the  same  occasion  baptized  five,  six, 
eight,  nine  or  ten  children.  A  personal  account  of  his 
ministrations  has  fortunately  been  preserved  to  us  in 
Biorck's  Dissertatio  Gradualis,  before  mentioned,  pub- 
lished in  SwAlen,  1731. 

Biorck  there  states  :  "  The  care  of  these  churches  [the 
Dutch  Lutheran  Churches  in  New  York]  was  therefore 
[after   the    illness    of    Dominie    Rudman]    committed    to 


ANCIENT  ARMS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


Magister  Justus  Falckner,  a  German,  and  the  planting  of 
them  brought  forth,  after  some  time,  so  plentiful  a  harvest 
that  seven  churches  successively  ordained  in  the  same  way 
might  be  enumerated,  as  Falckner  intimates  in  a  letter  to 
Magister  Sandel,  dated  New  York,  September  28,  1715. 
"  In  the  Jerseys,  there  I  visit  three  small  Lutheran  con- 
gregations ''  living  a  great  distance  one  from  the  other,  all 

"'These  congregations  were  in  Bergen  County  along  the  Hudson,  and 
evidently  do  not  include  those  on  the  Raritan,  which  were  ministered  to 
by  his  brother  Daniel. 


Serves  Seven   C/iurc/ies. 


93 


these  three  consist  of  about  one  hundred  communicants, 
the  most  poor  people  and  poor  settlers. 

"  In  the  Province  of  New  York  I  serve  four  small  Lu- 
theran congregations,  &  all  these  four  consist  in  all  of  about 
one  hundred  constant  communicants,  besides  strangers 
going  &  coming  in  the  city  of  N.  York,  so  that  in  all  I 
have  seven  congregations,  whom  to  serve  I  must  yearly 
travel  about  twelve  hundred  English  miles." 


r— iin<  av3 

DISSERTATIO  GRAUUAUS, 

PLANTATIONE 

ECCLESI/E  SVECAN/E 

AMERICA, 

QUAM, 

Affr^nte  ^mpl.  Senatu  Pht/o/opb.  at 
Rfgio  Upfal.  Aibmso, 

PR£SIDE, 
t^lRO  ^mphsfima  aiqut  CeUbcmmt 

Mag.     ANDREA 

Elh.  &  Polic  Prof.  Reg.  &  Ord 

la  Audit.  Gu[t.  Maj.  d.  14  Juo. 

Alt.    MOCCXXXI. 

tsamiiiandtm  modiflt  fi/lil 

Tobias   E  Biorck. 

AMIBICANO'DALtlARLUS.  

UPSAlIa  Uteris  Wk&nuuamu. 


Biorck  then  adds,  "Thus  these  men  were  punctual 
enough  in  meeting,  although  scattered  far  and  wide. 
Moreover : 

"Mr.  Kocherthal  resideth  as  yet  for  the  most  time  in 
one  place  on  Hudson's  River,  but  visiteth  two  places  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  particular  Lutheran  con- 
gregations meet.  He  has  been  as  yet  but  once  with  those 
Lutheran  Palatines  that  live  in  the  Mohacks'  country. 

"We  have  brought  forward  these  things  so  much  out 


94 


Do7ninie  Justus  Falckner. 


of  our  way,  in  order  to  make  it  clear  that  the  splendor  of 
the  Gospel  had  already  shone  in  such  various  places  of 
America." 

To  reach  these  widely  separated  stations  was  a  serious 
question.  No  regular  conveyances  existed  ;  the  only  means 
of^intercourse  was  either  by  canoe  on  the  water  courses  or 
on  horseback  through  the  almost  trackless  forest,  unpro- 
tected from  the  elements  and  exposed  to  the  dangers  from 
wild  beasts  and  a  treacherous  savage.  Still,  even  these 
dangers  failed  to  deter  this  pioneer  missionary  from  his 
path  of  duty. 

Great  as  was  this  widespread  field  of  his  ministrations, 
we  have  records  that  he,  in  addition,  found  time  to  extend 
his  labors  and  spread  the  Gospel  among  the  negro  slaves 
in  the  colony,  as  well  as  the  Indians  who  still  remained  in 
the  vicinity. 


^/^^A^x:  ^<2^^ 


cyi^ 


^>«5:^Ji/ 


'<2:.^^a-*^>2-s--i^^ 


SEAL   OF   DOMINIE  JUSTUS   FALCKNER  (ENLARGED). 


CHAPTER   X. 


Falckner's  Church  Records. 


(^^HE  old  church  records  and 
^^  registers  of  the  vener- 
able Trinity  Lutheran  Church 
(now  St.  Matthew's  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Broome  and  Elizabeth 
Streets)  give  us  the  best  insight 
into  the  untiring  energy  and 
piety  of  Justus  Falckner. 

It  is  indeed  fortunate  that 
these  records  have  been  pre- 
served to  the  present  genera- 
tion. They  were  saved  from 
destruction  during  the  great 
conflagration  in  1776  by  the  heroism  of  the  pastor,  who 
rescued  them  from  the  burning  parsonage  at  the  peril 
of  his  life ;  after  which  they  were  securely  placed  in  the 
cellar  of  the  new  church,  and  were  forgotten  until  found 
by  chance  a  few  years  ago ;  and  now  by  the  courtesy  of 
the  Reverend  John  Henry  Sieker,  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
they  have  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  present  writer. 
Dominie  Falckner  evidently  considered  the  Church  Book 
of  the  New  York  congregation  as  his  official  register,  and 

(95) 


96  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

copied  his  ministerial  acts  upon  its  pages,  irrespective  of 
where  they  were  administered. 

This  interesting  relic  had  been  procured  some  time 
previous  to  the  arrival  of  Dominie  Falckner,  as  is  shown  by 
a  memorandum  or  two  in  pastor  Rudman's  handwriting. 
No  effort  seems  to  have  been  made  by  the  latter  to  keep  a 
separate  record  of  his  ministerial  acts  in  New  York,  and 
they  were  without  doubt  entered  upon  the  records  of  the 
Wicacoa  church,  which  was  his  official  station. 

It  was  consequently  left  to  Justus  Falckner  to  open  the 
church  register  of  the  Trinity  Lutheran  congregation  in 
New  York.  This  book  is  the  oldest  systematic  Lutheran 
record  in  America,  and  is  in  the  unmistakable  handwriting 
of  the  pastor. 

On  the  first  page  it  states  that  "  this  is  the  Church  Regis- 
ter {Kerckcn-Boeclc)  of  the  Christian  Apostolic  Protestant 
Lutheran  Congregation,  according  to  the  unaltered  Con- 
fession of  Augsburg,  in  New  York,  and  the  other  thereto 
belonging  places  in  America." 

Then  follows  a  brief  list  of  contents  : 

"  An  inventory  of  books  and  papers  belonging  to  the  Church,  folio  3. 

"  Baptismal  Record  {Doop  Register'),  folio  79a. 

"  Register  of  such  persons  as  partook  for  the  first  time  with  our  Chris- 
tian Apostolic  Protestant  Lutheran  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Sacrament, 
folio  87*. 

"  Register  of  such  as  have  been  dismissed  by  the  congregation,  folio  109. 

"  Register  of  such  as  were  married  by  the  pastors  of  said  congregation, 
folio  145. 

"  Burial  Register,  folio  1S5. 

"  Register  of  Church  Officers,  folio  316. 

"Justus  Falckner,  Saxo-Germano  nf.  Eccla.  Orthodox  Lutheran  Belvic 
Nov-Eboraci  in  America,  Pastor." 

To  the  historian  the  most  interesting  item  on  the  above 
page  is  the  reference  to  an  inventory  of  church  papers,  then 
(1704)  in  possession  of  the  corporation.     They  consisted 


3) 
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m 

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.vy~--  ■  .■  ^i>j»^ -;  ,r ...- ,'  ;w«^% 


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Church  Book. 


97 


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p8  Dominie  Justus  Falckncr. 

of  several  bundles  or  packages  of  documents,  and  were 
labelled  "  Church  papers,"  Packet  I.,  II.,  etc.,  respectively. 
These  documents  have  long  since  disappeared ;  the  only 
record  of  them  which  has  came  down  to  us  being  Falck- 
ner's  inventory  in  the  Kercken-Boeck. 

Among  the   itemized  list.  Packet  No.  II.  would  be  of 
exceeding  interest  if  it  were  still  in  existence,  as  it  con- 
tained among  other  documents,  the  following  : 
Item  No.  5.  —  The  congregational  call  of  Justus  Falckner. 
"        6.  —  Rudmann's  letter  to  Falckner,  and  Falck- 

ner's  reply  and  acceptance. 
"        8.  —  A  personal  report  from  Falckner  to  Rud- 

mann. 
"        p.  —  The     engrossed     Diploma     of     ordination 
granted  to  Justus  Falckner,  and  signed 
by   the    three    Swedish    pastors    on    the 
Delaware. 
These    documents   were    deposited   by  Justus  Falckner 
with  the  congregation  upon  his  acceptance  of  the  charge. 
A   fac-simile    of   this    diploma   was    given    in   a   previous 
chapter. 

The  body  of  the  book  is  divided,  as  the  table  of  contents 
indicates,  into  six  divisions.  Reference  has  already  been 
made  to  Dominie  Falckner's  first  entry  and  votum. 

The  first  ministerial  act  recorded  was  a  baptism  admin- 
istered in  the  barn  of  Cornelius  van  Boskerk  at  Hacken- 
sack  in  East  Jersey,  on  Monday,  February  27,  1704. 
Upon  this  occasion  were  baptized  three  children  after  a 
full  morning  service.  On  April  17,  following,  which  was 
Easter  Monday,  Falckner  baptized  a  daughter  of  Pieter  A. 
van  Boskerk  in  the  church  at  New  York.  These  four 
baptisms  were  entered  upon  the  register  at  the  same  time 
in  the  Low  Dutch  language,  with  the  following  voium: 


Baptismal  Record.  99 

"O  Lord!  Lord,  let  this  child,  together  with  the  three 
above  written  Hackensack  Children,  be  and  remain  en- 
grossed upon  the  book  of  life,  through  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen." 

Almost  every  one  of  Falckner's  entries  closes  with  a 
short  prayer  or  votum  for  the  future  welfare  of  the  person 

m  9Vt^ ucrri?!    /scam.  CtdM.  ,j^%&tu\icc  en  cc-^^krc  '^^&i4^L 

^'  %^,j:^5r^XiSi"^  ^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^^ 

OlJiM'^^^Y^  u^a.^e^    cJUlrfin,  cMztOy  ^m  CM&TOOcr^W 


"-■■%"■ 

FACSIMILE   OF   EARLIEST   BAPTISMAL   RECORD. 

mentioned  ;  showing  the  deep  interest  this  devout  shepherd 
took  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  flock,  irrespective  of 
their  nationality  or  social  position.  Dutch,  English,  Ger- 
man, Negro  and  Indian  all  lost  their  individuality  with  this 


lOO 


Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 


pious  evangelist,  whose  only  aim  and  object  it  was  to  ex- 
tend the  Church  of  Christ  in  the  wilds  of  America,  accord- 
ing to  the  precepts  of  the  Augsburg  Confession. 

The  following  short  prayers  follow  the  respective  bap- 
tisms during  the  first  year  of  his  ministration  : 


SECTION  OF    OLD  MAP    SHOWING    LOCATION  OF  TRINITY  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 
DURING  DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER'S  TIME  :    NO.  I9,  CHURCH  AND 

parsonage;  no.  28,  lot  where  trinity  p.  e. 
church  was  built. 

"  O  God,  let  this  child  be  and  remain  a  child  of  salvation 
through  Christ.     Amen." 

"  Lord,  let  this  child  also  remain  forever  within  thy 
everlasting  grace  and  favor,  through  Christ.     Amen." 

"  O  God,  let  this  child  be  included  and  remain  in  thy 
eternal  favor,  through  Christ." 

"  O  Lord,  we  commend  this  child  unto  thee,  for  both 


Baptizes  English    Children. 


i(ii;  ., 


temporal  and  eternal  welfare,  through  Christ.  O  my  G6d,'^ 
may  this  child  be  and  remain  a  member  of  thy  kingdorfi  of' 
grace  and  glory,  through  Christ.     Amen." 

The  baptism  of  children  of  English  parents  was  usually 
recorded  in  the  English  language. 


SECTION    OF    MAP    OF    174O   SHOWING    LOCATION    OF    TRINITY    LUTHERAK 

CHURCH    DEDICATED    BY    DOM.  DANIEL     FALCKNER ,  JUNE    29,    I729. 

13,    LUTHERAN    CHURCH.  12,    TRINITY    P.    K.    CHURCH. 

"  Baptized  d.  lo  Octobr,  1704  in  ye  House  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Chambers,  Richard,  son  of  Mr.  William  Chambers  en 
his  wife  Sarah,  born  d.  10  ditto. 

"  Bless,  O  Lord,  this  child  also  with  everlasting  happi- 
ness, through  Christ  Jesus.     Amen. 

"Anno  1707,  the  i,  Juni  [literal  transcript],  being 
Whitsunday,  baptized,   in    our    Lutheran   Church   at  Al- 


I02  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

ba'ny,*"  Elizabeth,  young  daughter  of  Lieutenant  Richard 
Brewer  &  Catherine  his  wife,  born  the  ii  of  March  of 
this  year.  Godfather  was  Lieut :  Henry  Holland,  God 
mother  Madam  Elisabeth  Weems  and  Mrs.  Margareta 
Kollnis. 

"  Grant,  O  Lord,  that  this  Childt  never  cast  away  the 


grace  which  thou  has  Schworn,  yea  given  by  the  Covenant 
of  Baptism  trough  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen." 

Among  the  many  interesting  items  in  the  baptismal 
register  is  the  following  : 

In  the  year  1705  were  baptized  a  daughter  of  Are  of 
Guinea,  a  negro,  and  his  wife  Jora,  both  Christian  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation.  Falckner  concludes  with  this 
votum : 

"  Lord,  merciful  God,  who  lookest  not  upon  the  person, 
but  from  whom  different  creatures  that  fear  thee  and  do 
right  find  favor,  let  this  child  be  clothed  in  the  white  robe 

'"The  first  Lutheran  Church  in  Albany,  fronted  on  Pearl  Street,  be- 
tween Howard  and  Beaver,  long  since  known  as  Centre  Market. 


First   Communicants.  103 

of  innocence  and  righteousness,  and  so  remain  through  the 
grace  of  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  all  mankind.     Amen." 

One  of  the  most  impressive  incidents  during  Dominie 
Falckner's  pastorate  in  New  York  occurred  on  Easter  Sun- 
day, 1708.  It  was  a  clear,  bright  April  day  with  the  har- 
bingers of  spring  singing  in  the  air,  and  the  warm  sun 
calling  all  vegetation  once  more  to  put  on  its  garb  of  ver- 

J^  7  o  ^ 


7acra 


RECORD    OF    FIRST  COMMUNICANTS. 


dure  ;  indeed  a  typical  Paschal  day,  when  all  nature  seemed 
to  rejoice. 

The  church  was  decorated  with  budding  boughs  and 
spring  flowers.  The  Paschal  candles  burned  brightly  on 
either  side  of  the  crucifix  upon  the  altar,  all  indicative  of 
he  glorious  resurrection  to  be  celebrated. 

It  was,  however,  a  gala  day  in  the  church  independent 


I04  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

of  its  being  one  of  tiie  most  joyous  festivals.  The  full 
order  of  morning  service  ( Hauft-gottcsdciiist)  was  com- 
pleted, to  the  reading  of  the  last  collect,  when  a  baptism 
somewhat  out  of  the  ordinary  course  was  administered. 
The  candidate  was  a  Carolina  Indian,  who  was  a  slave 
held  b}'  Peter  Woglam. 

When  the  former  first  expressed  a  wish  to  become  a 
Christian,  it  became  a  question  whether  if  he  were  admitted 
to  the  Church  he  could  still  be  held  in  bondage  and  treated 
as  a  slave.  The  master  naturally  objected,  in  the  fear  that 
he  might  lose  his  servant.  The  Indian,  however,  settled 
the  question  by  stating  that  he  was  willing  to  remain  in 
servitude  in  this  world,  provided  he  was  assured  that  he 
would  be  free  and  equal  in  the  skies  beyond. 

Dominie  Falckner,  when  he  heard  of  the  circumstances, 
examined  the  Indian,  found  him  sincere,  and  concluded  to 
accept  him,  and  instructed  him  in  the  catechism  and  the 
tenets  of  the  faith. 

Upon  the  Sunday  in  question,  after  the  holy  Eucharist 
had  been  celebrated,  the  Indian  slave,  after  having  been 
duly  prepared,  was  called  up  before  the  altar  and  publicly 
catechised  in  presence  of  the  congregation  by  the  pastor 
and  wardens.  He  was  then  asked  by  Dominie  Falckner 
whether  he  solemnly  promised  before  the  omnipotent  Lord 
and  this  Christian  congregation  that  he  would,  after  he 
was  received  into  the  Church,  continue  to  serve  his  worldly 
master  and  mistress  as  faithfully  and  truly  as  if  he  were 
yet  in  his  benighted  state. 

Upon  the  Indian  giving  his  solemn  promise  that  he 
would,  Dominie  Falckner  proceeded  to  baptize  him,  after 
he  had  driven  out  the  spirit  of  evil  with  the  ancient  exor- 
cism according  to  the  Lutheran  ritual :  "  Darnni,  du  ver- 
maledcyter  Teufcl,  crkennc  dcin  urihcil,  etc." 


Stipend. 


105 


p^  fifty  Shillings,  (No>/o6'L 

'       athalf  a  farthing  per  diem  Int. 

THis  Indented  Bill  of  Fifty  Shil- 
lings^ due  from  the  Colony 
of  New- York,  to thePofsefsor  there- 
of fhall  be  in  value  equal  to  Money, 
8c  fliall  be  accordingly  accepted  by 
the  Treafurer  ot  this  Colony,  for  the 
time  being,  inall  pubJick  Payments, 
and  for  any  Fund  at  any  time  in  the 
Treafury.  Dated,  Neu?'Tc?r;!!,  the  \fi 
o(  November^  »709'  by  order  of  the 
Lieut.  Governor,  council  &  General 
Afsembly  of  the  faid  ^lony^ 


SPECIMEN    OF    MONEY    IN   WHICH    DOMINIE    FALCKXER's 
STIPEND    WAS    PAID. 


io6  Domtnie  Justus  Falckner. 

The  name  given  to  the  new  convert  was  "  Thomas 
Christian."  The  ceremony  closed  with  the  invocation  by 
the  Dominie:  "That  the  Lord  would  henceforth  cause 
this  unbelieving  Tho7nas  to  become  a  believing  Christian." 
The  morning  service  closed  with  the  benediction. 

History  is  silent  as  to  the  fate  of  this  poor  Indian  slave 
who  thus  voluntarily  embraced  the  Christian  faith.  Pre- 
sumably he  continued  to  serve  his  master  and  mistress,  ac- 
cording to  his  solemn  promise,  with  the  same  fidelity  as 
before.  Whether  his  bonds  were  ever  relaxed,  or  whether 
his  subsequent  treatment  was  worse  we  do  not  know. 

A  somewhat  similar  ceremony  was  performed  at  Albany 
four  years  after  the  above.  The  convert  in  this  instance 
was  a  negro  slave.     The  entry  in  the  old  register  reads : 

"Anno  1712,  January  27,  baptized  at  Loonenburg  in 
Albany,  Pieter  Christian,  a  Negro  and  slave  of  Jan  van 
Loons  of  Loonenburg,  about  thirty  years  of  age.  He  has 
promised  among  other  things  that  he  will  hereafter,  as  well 
as  he  has  done  before,  faithfully  serve  his  master  and  mis- 
tress as  servant. 

"  Grant,  O  God,  that  this  black  and  hard  Negro-heart  be 
and  remain  a  Christian  heart,  and  he  may  be  numbered 
among  those  who  are  clothed  with  white  raiment  before 
the  throne  of  the  Lamb,  through  the  merits  of  the  Lamb 
of  God  who  bore  the  sins  of  the  world.     Amen." 

Under  date  of  February  28,  17 10,  Dominie  Falckner 
records  the  baptism  of  Louisa  Abigail,  daughter  of  Pastor 
Josua  Kocherthal  and  his  wife  Sibylla  Charlotta. 

Among  the  many  curious  entries  in  the  baptismal  record, 
the  following  is  interesting  as  it  illustrates  the  orthodoxy 
of  the  Dominie.  It  appears  that  during  his  absence  two 
members  of  his  church  called  upon  the  English  Episcopal 
minister,   Rev.  John    Sharpe,   to    baptize    their    children. 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


N,   ESQ.,   PMOTO. 


SWEDISH    CHURCHES    ON    THE    DELAWARE. 

ROCKS  SHOW  SITE  OF  FORT  BUILT  BY  MINUET     1638.       THE  CHURCH  STOOD  WITHIN  THE  ENCLOSURE  (wILMINGTOn). 
MONUMENT  ON  SITE  OF  CRANEHOOK  CHURCH,  1667-1699.  ON  BANKS  OF  DELAWARE,   NEW  EDEN  PARK. 


Marriage. 


107 


^ 


This  fact  evidently  pained  him  deeply,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  appended  votum : 

"  Nov.  30,  1712.  During  my  absence]^Mr.  John  Sharpe" 
baptized  the  young  daughter  of  Christian  Streit,"  named, 
Maria  Magdalena,  born  in  New  York,  etc. 

"December  28,  1712.  Also  baptized  by  Mr.  Sharpe, 
the  3'oung  daughter  of  Johann  Phillip  Tays,  named  Chris- 
tine Elizabeth,  born  in  New  York,  etc. 


FAC-SIMILE    OF    DOMINIE    PALKNER  S    ENTRY    OF    HIS    MARRIAGE. 

"  Lord,  Lord  God  !  Merciful,  gracious  and  forbearing,  of 
great  mercy  and  consideration,  which  thou  showest  unto 
us  in  a  thousand  ways  by  forgiving  us  our  offences,  tres- 

"  The  Rev.  John  Sharpe,  a  clergyman  of  character  and  ability,  was  one 
of  the  early  clergy  upon,  the  rolls  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  His  chief  station  under  the  society  was  in 
East  Jersey.  Prior  to  this  he  appears  to  have  been  stationed  in  Maryland, 
probably  under  orders  of  the  Bishop  of  London.  (Nichols  to  Stubs  — 
Perry's  Historical  Collections,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  54,  349).  But  little  is  known 
of  this  clergyman.  Upon  the  rolls  of  the  venerable  society'  he  is  entered 
as  having  been  sent  out  in  1704,  after  which  his  career,  so  far  as  the  society 
goes,  seems  to  be  a  blank,  for  immediately  after  his  name  and  date  is 
entered  "  resigned."  According  to  the  above  entry  by  Dominie  Falckner, 
he  was  still  performing  religious  rites  as  late  as  1712.  Another  account 
names  him  as  a  chaplain  at  New  York.  The  diary  of  Rev.  Sharpe  is  now 
in  the  collection  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

'*  Christian  Streit,  a  grandson  of  this  man  was  ordained  to  the  Lutheran 
ministry  together  with  Muhlenberg's  two  younger  sons,  at  Reading,  Oc- 
tober 25,  1770.     See  Hallisc/ic  Nack.,  new  ed.,  633. 


io8 


Domim'e  Justus  Falchier. 


passes  and  sin,  let  not  one  of  the  above  standing  names  be 
blotted  out  from  thy  book  [on  account  of  having  been  bap- 
tized by  a  minister  of  a  different  faith],  but  let  them  be 
therein  written  and  remain  there  through  Jesus  Christ,  thy 
beloved  Son.     Amen."  ^^ 

In  the  marriage  record  the  following  personal  announce- 
ment is  perhaps  the  most  interesting  : 

Under  date  May  26,  1717.      "On  Rogate  Sunday  did 


Reverend  William  Vesey,  commissary  and  preacher  of  the 
English  Church  in  New  York,  on  a  license  of  his  Excel- 
lency Robert  Hunter,  at  the  time  Governor  of  this  Province, 

"  Heere,  Heere  Gott,  Barmheriig  ende  Genadig  endc  Lanckmaedtg  ende 
van  groote  Genade  ende  Tromve,  di  Ghy  beivyst  in  duysetif  leeden  ende 
veigeeft  misdaad^  oi'cn/reedinge  ende  Soude^  laat  dock  niet  een  Tan  de 
borien  staande  naamen  nyi  it  Bock  uytgcdeigi  zvoordfenj  maar  laat  $e  daarin 
geschreewen  syn  en  blyz'en  door  Jesum  Christum,  invcn  lieven  Soon.     Amen. 


Children.  109 

Me,  Justus  Falkner,  pastor  of  the  Protestant  Lutheran  con- 
gregation, in  my  house  in  little  Qiieen  street  in  New  York, 
marry  and  consecrate  in  the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony  with 
the  honorable  virgin,  Gerritge  Hardick,  born  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  New  York,  County  Albany. 

"  I  leave  you  not,  you  bless  me  then.  Amen." 
Three  children  blessed  this  union :  Anna  Catherina, 
born  in  New  York,  July  17,  1718  ;  baptized  in  the  church 
on  July  20 ;  and  Sara  Justa,  born  at  Loonenburg,  May 
5,  1720;  baptized  May  8;  married  Niclas  van  Hoesan, 
December  22,  1738;  Benedictus,  a  son,  born  April,  1723; 
baptized  at  Calverack,  April  nth. 

In  June,  17 17,  a  letter  of  thanks  was  sent  to  the  Amster- 
dam Consistory  for  aid  and  assistance  rendered  the  strug- 
gling congregations  in  the  valley  of  the  Hudson.  The 
original  document,  signed  by  Dominie  Justus  Falckner, 
and  sealed  with  his  coat  of  arms,  is  still  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  old  Lutheran  Church  at  Amsterdam.  Fol- 
lowing is  a  verbatim  translation  : 

New  York,  June  12,  A°  1717. 

Respective  Very  Reverend,  Reverend,  God  Devoted, 
Highly  and  Very  learned.  Highly  and  Very  Respectable, 
Highly  and  Very  honored  Lords  and  Brethren  in  Christ. 

When  one  of  our  Brethren,  by  the  name  of  Johan 
Michael  Schiitze,  was  in  Holland  on  his  own  business  last 
year,  he,  from  the  zeal  and  Christian  affection  towards  our 
true  Religion  of  which  he  is  possessed,  prayed  your  assis- 
tance for  a  new  church  here  in  New  York. 

And  you,  being  filled  with  and  rich  in  that  true  charity 
the  nature  and  character  of  which  is  tireless,  have,  in  com- 
pliance with  his  said  prayer,  presented  him  with  One  hun- 
dred Dutch  Guilders.     We  herewith  render  you,  in  duty 


no  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

bound,  our  heartfelt  thanks  for  this  beneficence  and  others 
received  from  you,  with  the  assurance  that  we  shall  take  all 
possible  care  to  deport  and  show  ourselves  good  Stewarts 
of  your  charity.  And  that  we  shall  not  cease  heartily  to 
wish  and  pray  that  our  Emanuel  may  be  a  Shield  and 
great  Reward  unto  you  and  his  congregation  under  you ; 
craving  that  we  ever  may  have  the  honor  to  call  ourselves, 
to  sign  and  to  be 

Respective,  Very  Reverend,  Reverend,  etc.,  Your 
grateful,  sincere  and  faithful  Brethren, 

(Signed)      Justus  Falckner,  Past.  Eccle.  etc. 

PlETER  WOGLOM, 

Baeren  van  Hooren, 
pleter  van  lopperse, 
johannis  logransie, 
Charel  Beckman. 
Address 
to 
the  Reverend  Highly  laudable 
Consistorium  and  Church  Council 
of  the  unaltered  Confession  of 
Augsburg  in  Amsterdam,  at  Amsterdam. 

In  the  performance  of  the  arduous  duties  called  for  by 
his  widely  extended  field  of  labor,  the  Dominie  had  but 
little  time  for  rest  or  the  enjoyment  of  home  life.  Forced 
as  he  was  to  be  away  from  wife  and  babes  for  weeks  and 
months  at  a  time,  his  lot  was  by  no  means  a  sinecure,  and 
to  make  matters  worse,  so  beloved  was  he  that  the  people, 
wherever  he  happened  to  be,  were  loth  to  see  him  depart 
for  his  next  station,  and  would  exact  promises  for  a  speedy 
return. 

In  their  attempt  to  secure  his  services,  the  various  con- 
gregations even  went  further,  and  provided  glebe  houses 


Visited  by  Dominie  Sandcl.  iii 

that  should  be  ready  at  all  times  for  the  pastor  and  his 
family.  This  was  the  case  at  Loonenburg  (Athens)  or 
at  a  place  called  Klinkenbergh.  He  also  lived  for  a  time 
at  Calverack,  and  other  outlying  points,  such  as  Prewen- 
haeck. 

That  notwithstanding  his  arduous  duties,  Dominie  Falck- 
ner  still  remained  in  touch  with  his  clerical  brethren  on  the 
Delaware  is  shown  by  correspondence  with  them,  and  by 
entries  in  the  Diary  of  Pastor  Andreas  Sandel.  The  last 
one  reads : 

"July  9,  1718.  I  sent  same  day  by  mail  a  packet  to 
New  York,  enclosed  to  Pastor  Falkner,  to  be  forwarded 
by  the  first  vessel  bound  for  England."  This  letter  has 
reference  to  Pastor  Sandel's  journey  to  Sweden. 

In  addition  to  Dominie  Falckner's  arduous  and  exacting 
duties  incident  to  his  widely  separated  charges  and  scat- 
tered congregations,  a  factor  arose  towards  the  close  of  his 
administration,  which  caused  him  much  concern.  This 
was  nothing  less  than  the  attempt  of  one  Johann  Bernhard 
Van  Dieren,  a  tailor  by  trade  in  New  York,  to  usurp  the 
place  as  pastor  in  some  of  the  congregations  under  Dominie 
Falckner's  charge.  Van  Dieren  claimed  to  have  been  sent 
to  New  York  as  a  pastor  by  Rev.  Boehme,  court  preacher 
at  St.  James,  London,  but  had  no  proof  of  his  claim. 

It  was  not  known  heretofore  that  Dom.  Falckner  was  in 
any  manner  involved  in  this  controversy.  The  finding  of 
his  correspondence  by  the  present  writer  throws  consider- 
able light  upon  this  episode  in  our  early  religious  history. 

It  appears  that  Dominie  Falckner  wrote  to  the  Swedish 
pastors  on  the  Delaware  for  advice  in  this  matter,  a  trans- 
lation of  Dominie  Andreas  Hesselius',  the  Swedish  provost 
in  America,  Latin  opinion  is  here  presented  :  " 

**  Translation  by  Rev.  H.  E.  Jacobs,  D.D. 


112  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

"As  to  Bernhard  Von  Dieren  I  have  been  able  to  dis- 
cover nothing  except  his  singular  zeal  (would  that  it  had 
been  more  wisely  directed)  for  serving  the  church  which 
he  canvassed  with  such  earnestness  and  such  cares  and 
troubles.  I  only  dread  that  much  injury  may  result;  for 
if  he  be  unfortunately  transferred  to  administer  affairs  for 
which  he  has  not  been  fitted,  he  must  neglect  both  his 
order  (?)  and  their  duties,  and  corrupt  those  of  others.  If, 
as  he  professes,  he  be  actually  a  Lutheran,  I  wish,  that, 
being  mindful  of  Luther's  doctrine,  he  would  acquiesce  in 
his  words  :  '  Await  the  One  who  calls  thee ;  meanwhile, 
be  secure.  ...  If  He  (?)  need  thee.  He  will  call  thee. 
No  one  is  enriched  by  the  word,  unless  one  who,  without 
his  wish,  is  called  to  teach.'  How  in  every  way  this  declar- 
ation of  Luther  is  harmonious  with  the  practice  of  the  an- 
cient and  purer  church,  the  words  of  the  Emperor  Leo  will 
stand.  The  minister  of  the  word  of  God  ought  to  be  so 
free  from  ambition  that  he  is  to  be  sought  for  as  one  who 
has  to  be  constrained ;  being  asked  for  he  retires,  and 
being  invited  he  shrinks  back.  Let  the  necessity  of  mak- 
ing an  excuse  be  his  own  recommendation.  Only  he,  is 
worthy  of  the  ministry  who  is  ordained  unwillingly. 
"  Such  is  the  opinion  of 

"  Andrew  Hesselius,  Pastor  at 
"  Christiana  and  Provost  of  the 

"  Swedish  Churches  in  Pennsylvania." 

In  a  letter  to  Dominie  Justus  Falckner,  dated  1721,  on 
the  day  of  St.  James  the  Apostle. 


A  partial  account  of  Dom.  Falckner's  part  in  this  con- 
troversy will  be  found  in  the  final  chapter  of  this  memorial. 

Dominie  Justus  Falckner's  married  life  proved  of  short 
duration.     We  know  but  little  of  his  movements,  except 


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His  Death.  113 

what  can  be  gleaned  from  his  official  entries,  which  show 
that  he  continued  to  cover  the  whole  territory  of  eastern 
New  York,  Long  Island  and  Staten  Island. 

The  last  entry  found  in  his  private  diary,  and  copied  into 
the  old  church  register  by  Pastor  Knoll,  shows  that  he  was 
at  Phillipsburg  early  in  September,  1723  : 

"  Sept.  4,  1723.  Baptized  at  Phillipsburg  "  at  the  upper 
mill,  in  the  house  of  David  Sturm,  Johann  Peter,  born  in 
the  middle  of  June ;  ibidem.  Father  Pieter  Hentz,  mother 
Maria,  Witness  Johann  Birger." 

After  this  his  history  becomes  a  blank,  the  only  docu- 
mentary notice  being  a  memorandum  made  by  Pastor  Knoll 
in  the  records  of  the  Lutheran  church  at  Newburgh : 
"  Pastor  Justus  Falcknenier,  deceased.     Anno,  1723." 

According  to  the  above  record,  which  is  no  doubt  correct, 
Justus  Falckner  died  at  the  early  age  of  51  years,  after 
having  faithfully  served  the  various  congregations  under 
his  charge  for  twenty  years. 

What  were  the  circumstances  of  his  sudden  end  cannot 
be  told.  Whether  he  died  alone  among  strangers,  or  amidst 
his  young  family,  is  an  unanswerable  question.  Not  even 
his  burial  place  is  known,  nor  whether  he  was  buried  with 
the  rites  of  the  church  in  consecrated  ground,  or  in  some 
imknown  corner. 

However,  should  any  record  be  found  to  shed  some  light 

•^  Philipsburgh  or  Philipsborough  was  a  manor  granted  to  Frederick 
Philipse  by  royal  charter  in  1693.  The  lands  continued  in  possession  of 
the  family  until  1779,  when  they  were  confiscated  by  the  state  of  New  York. 
The  manor  included  the  present  city  of  Yonkers  and  extended  some  dis- 
tance above.     Its  boundaries,  as  defined  in  the  charter,  were  as  follows  : 

"  All  that  tract  of  land  upon  the  main,  bounded  to  the  north  by  a  rivu- 
let called  by  the  Indians,  Meccackassin,  so  running  southward  to  Nepper- 
han,  from  thence  to  the  kill  Shorackkapock  and  to  Paparinnomo,  which  is 
the  southernmost  bounds,  then  to  go  across  the  country,  eastward  by  that 
which  is  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Bronx's  river." 


114  Dominie  Justus  Falclcner. 

upon  the  last  hours  of  this  devout  shepherd  in  the  fold  of 
Christ,  it  will  no  doubt  show  that  he  died  in  the  full  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  true  to  his  ordination  vows. 

As  to  his  family,  it  is  known  that  after  the  father's  death 
the  widow  with  her  three  young  children  took  up  her 
abode  at  Loonenburg,  where  the  latter  grew  up  in  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  were  confirmed  and  married  ac- 
cording to  its  ritual. 

One  of  the  last  official  acts  recorded  by  Dominie  Berken- 
meyer,  prior  to  his  death  in  1744,  was  a  baptism  of  a  second 
son  of  one  of  his  church  officers  —  Benedictus  Falckner,  a 
grandson  of  his  immediate  predecessor. 

Justus  Falckner  is  represented  by  all  accounts  as  a  lovely, 
winning  character,  a  man  of  excellent  gifts,  good  educa- 
tion, fine  mind,  devout,  of  decided  Lutheran  opinions, 
active  and  of  great  endurance.  In  fact,  he  was  an  ideal 
pastor,  who  entered  into  his  office  with  the  full  knowledge 
that  without  God's  grace  nothing  could  be  accomplished. 
As  has  been  shown,  his  field  of  labor  extended  along  the 
Hudson  as  far  north  as  Albany  and  landward  to  Long 
Island  and  Raritan  in  New  Jersey. 

His  services,  nominally  confined  to  the  Dutch  and  Ger- 
mans of  the  Lutheran  faith,  were  extended  to  all,  irrespec- 
tive of  creed  or  color,  as  is  proved  by  the  mention  of  bap- 
tisms of  both  negroes  and  Indians  from  the  earliest  days  of 
his  ministry. 

Nothing  could  show  the  devout  and  sincere  mind  of 
Justus  Falckner  in  bolder  relief  than  the  entries  of  his 
official  acts  in  the  church  register,  a  votiim  being  added  in 
every  case. 

From  the  documentary  evidence  come  to  light  of  late, 
and  which  forms  the  basis  of  the  majorit}'  of  these  pages, 
it  is  shown  how  the  influence  of  the  Pietists  of  Provincial 


Greatest  Monument.  115 

Pennsylvania  spread  bej-ond  the  bounds  of  that  Province 
and  extended  over  New  York  and  the  Jersej's.  No  matter 
what  the  immediate  causes  maj'  have  been  that  induced  the 
Falckner  brothers  to  leave  their  original  home  in  America, 
how  the  factor  time  is  apt  to  set  all  matters  right  is  evi- 
denced in  the  historj^  of  the  elder  Falckner  and  the  contro- 
version of  the  Pastorius  slanders. 

To  the  devout  and  pious  Justus  Falckner,  who  first  came 
to  the  western  world  as  a  Pietist  and  mystical  Theosophist, 
with  the  avowed  intention  there  to  prepare  himself  for  the 
coming  of  the  Redeemer,  history  will  ever  point  as  one  of 
the  most  devout  and  sincere  missionaries  and  brightest 
characters  in  early  German-American  history. 

Although  for  years  almost  forgotten  by  the  present  gen- 
erations that  now  compose  the  congregations  formerly 
served  by  him,  their  very  existence  at  the  present  day,  after 
the  lapse  of  two  centuries,  and  the  fact  of  their  still  adher- 
ing to  the  Lutheran  faith  as  based  upon  the  unaltered 
Augsburg  Confession,  are  his  best  monuments.  They  are 
living  memorials,  far  greater  than  either  shafts  of  granite 
or  tablets  of  bronze  made  by  the  hands  of  man. 

As  a  fitting  close  to  this  sketch  may  be  quoted  the  con- 
clusion of  the  ritual  formerly  used  by  the  Theosophical 
Brotherhood  of  which  at  one  time  he  was  a  member — 

"  MAY    GOD    GRANT    HIM    A    BLESSED 
RESURRECTION." 


CHAPTER   XI. 
The  Van  Dieren  Controversy. 


Z' 


'HAT  Dominie  Justus 
Falckner  had  more 
or  less  trouble  in  his  ex- 
tended field  of  labor,  is 
an  indisputable  fact.  It 
has,  however,  not  been 
known  heretofore  that 
Falckner  was  in  any  man- 
ner concerned  in  what  is 
known  as  the  Van  Dieren 
Controversy. 

From  an  extended  frag- 
mentary report,  found 
among  the  loose  papers  in 
the  archives  of  the  old  Lutheran  church  in  Amsterdam, 
we  obtain  a  clear  insight  into  how  this  controversy  arose, 
together  with  Dominie  Falckner's  action  in  the  premises. 
We  learn  how  a  journeyman  tailor  married  the  daughter 
of  one  of  the  officers  of  the  New  York  church,  and  then 
set  himself  up  as  a  preacher.  We  also  learn  much  of  the 
history  of  the  New  York  congregation.  Unfortunately  the 
last  page  of  this  report,  bearing  date  and  signature,  is  miss- 

(.16) 


A  Rare  Pamfhlet.  117 

jifilkm  Chrijtoffel  Berkemneyer^ 

Bcdienaars  des  Heyligcn  Euangeliums  van  dc 

Nederdujtfche  Geineente 
TE 

Nieiiw^Torh,  Alhame  en  da^r  on'trent, 

Iiifgelyks 

derParochye  dtxPahtymn  hy^afaykf 

DE  ONFEB.ANDERDE   A.   C    TOEGEDAAK, 

CETROUWE 

HERDER-  en  WACHTER 

STEM 

Aande  Hoog-  en  Neder-Duitfche  LutherlaaHea 

in  defe  Geweften, 

eenfteitimig  te  zyn  vertoont 

tnct  t»/(  Brievot  en  andere  Redenen  Luthcrfcbcr  I'beologditteHy 
A  ANG  A.ANDE 

't  Van  Dierenfche  Beroep, 

E  N 

De  Henkelfche  Beveftiging. 

Te  Niam-rcrk,  by  J.  feter  Linger,  A-  C.  MDCCXXYin. 

FAC-SIMILE  OF   BERKENMEYER's    PAMPHLET.      ONLY   KNOWN  COPY  IN  HAR- 
VARD UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY. 


Il8  Dominie  Justus  Falchner. 

ing.  It  is,  however,  undoubtedly  in  the  handwriting  of 
Pastor  Berkenmeyer,  who  was  Falckner's  immediate  suc- 
cessor, and  it  was  his  first  report  to  the  Amsterdam  Con- 
sistory upon  his  arrival  in  New  York,  September  22,  1725. 

There  appears  a  date,  1721,  in  pencil  upon  the  first 
page.  This  is  correct,  so  far  as  it  refers  to  the  Latin  letter 
of  Dominie  Andreas  Hesselius  to  Dominie  Justus  Falckner 
which  is  appended  to  the  report. 

This  report  with  the  local  matter  left  out  formed  the 
basis  for  Berkenmeyer's  controversial  pamphlet  printed  by 
Zenger  in  1728,  the  title  page  of  which  we  reproduce  on 
the  opposite  page. 

William  Christopher  Berkenmeyers  |  Minister  of  the 
Holy  Evangels  to  the  |  Low  Dutch  congregation  |  at  |  New 
York,  Albany  and  parts  adjacent  |  as  well  as  |  the  Parish 
of  Palatines  at  Qjiassayk  |  Addicted  to  the  Unaltered 
A[ugsburg]  C[onfession]  [Faithful  pastoral  and  guardian 
Call  I  to  the  High  and  Low  Dutch  Lutherans  |  in  these 
wilds  I  to  be  of  one  accord,  demonstrated  |  by  two  letters 
and  other  fundemantals  of  Lutheran  Theologians  |  Con- 
cerning I  the  Van  Dieren  Vocation  |  and  |  The  Henkel  Ordi- 
nation I  At  New  York  by  J.  Peter  Zenger,  A.  C.  1728.  | 

The  writer  is  indebted  to  Pastor  Van  Wijk,  Jr.,  of  the 
Amsterdam  clergy  for  a  verbatim  copy  of  this  interesting 
document,  which  gives  us  so  many  new  and  interesting 
historical  facts  concerning  our  early  religious  history. 

Translation. 
♦|^\IGHT  Reverend,  most  learned,  as  also  Most  Noble 
lt\     and  Illustrious   Sirs,   particularly  our  Most  Kind 
and  esteemed  Patrons  ! 

I  regard  it  as  m}'  duty,  not  only  to  express  my  thanks  in 
particular  to  you,  Right  Reverend,  Most  Noble  and  most 


Story  of  Van  Dieren.  119 

learned  Sirs,  for  the  favors  which  you  extended  to  me  dur- 
ing my  sojourn  in  Amsterdam  and  after  my  departure,  in 
the  positive  assurance  that  God  will  extend  his  blessing  to 
each  and  all  of  you,  but  also  to  advise  you  of  what  passes 
here,  and  give  you  an  accurate  account  how  I  found  the 
condition  of  this  congregation  upon  my  arrival. 

The  contentions  within  the  congregation  and  the  letter 
resulting  therefrom  were  caused  by  the  following  con- 
ditions : 

There  is  a  member  of  our  congregation  in  the  city  one 
Johann  Michael  Schtitz,  a  tailor,  who  gave  his  daughter 
unto  a  man  who  left  the  needle  and  assumed  the  pastoral 
office,  over  which  there  had  been  many  a  dispute  even 
during  the  lifetime  of  Dominie  Justus  Falckner,  who  as 
he  felt  his  end  approaching  admonished  the  wardens  and 
vestrymen  to  seek  their  refuge  with  the  Right  Worshipful 
Consistory  at  Amsterdam. 

The  only  obstacle  in  their  way,  however,  was  the  heavy 
expense,  which  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  assume.  In 
this  dilemma  Johannes  Sybrand,  who  was  a  seafaring  man, 
volunteered,  as  he  then  stood  prepared  to  go  to  England, 
to  assume  the  personal  expenses  of  the  Dominie,  and  to 
go  over  to  Holland  to  procure  [a  pastor]  from  thence,  pro- 
vided that  they  would  supply  him  with  a  collection-book. 
Now  as  they  imagined  that  they  were  not  risking  or  were 
responsible  for  more  than  the  charges  on  the  Dominie's 
baggage,  the  majority,  together  with  the  most  respectable 
members,  accepted  the  offer  with  great  pleasure. 

However,  the  before-mentioned  Schiitz  would  not  con- 
sent to  anj'thing,  as  he  would  gladly  have  seen  a  different 
course  taken  in  regard  to  his  son-in-law,  who  was  then  at 
Schohari.  Albeit  he  did  not  permit  himself  to  say  or  do 
anything  until  an  answer  was  received  from  your  Right 


I20  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Worshipful  Consistory,  stating  that,  without  any  previous 
consent  or  authority  of  the  congregations  concerned,  one 
would  hardly  consent  to  come  over ;  furthermore  that 
nearly  all  here  had  lost  all  courage. 

These  facts  Schiitz  made  use  of,  and  not  only  induced 
one  of  the  Kerkenmeister,  Andreas  Van  Buskerke  (who  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  call  frocnratum  to  Amsterdam) 
together  with  the  latter's  brother  and  son,  who  live  in  the 
country,  to  sign  the  contradictory  missive,  but  also  induced 
Johann  Jacob  Bos  and  Michael  Peper  to  do  the  same. 

Now  if  we  except  Johann  Michael  Schiitz  as  the  author 
and  his  son  J.  H.  Schiitz,  all  the  remaining  signers  to 
the  missive  are  either  persons  who  have  already  severed 
themselves  from  our  holy  religion,  as  Godfried  Heyns  and 
Johann  David  Koning,  or  such  as  only  join  in  our  commun- 
ion as  strangers,  like  Fridiricus  Boolt  and  Uldrig  Zimmer- 
diinger ;  or  such  as  are  scattered  about  the  country  far  and 
near,  like  Joh.  Jacob  Huttrot,  Joh.  C.  Miiller,  and  A.  Beem, 
who  has  since  returned  to  Newburg.  Others  are  not  even 
known  here  by  name.  Further,  of  all  the  rest  or  at  least 
not  a  single  one  of  them  (exxepting  the  three  Van  Bos- 
kerkes  and  Joh.  Michael  Schiitz,  who  formerl}^  served  as 
a  deacon,  and  once  upon  a  time,  about  the  j'ear  17 13,  took 
upon  himself  to  collect  money  in  Amsterdam,  whereof  he 
delivered  fifteen  Pounds  to  the  church  after  a  lapse  of  three 
years),  ever  gave  a  single  penny  toward  the  church  during 
their  whole  lifetime. 

Yea,  it  even  came  to  pass,  after  a  brother  of  the  Van 
Boskerkes,  who  hailed  from  Hackensack,  had  extended  a 
call  thence  to  this  Van  Dieren  and  permitted  him  occasion- 
ally to  preach  in  their  dwelling  houses,  that  he  preached 
once  in  our  church,  but  only  with  the  consent,  forcibly 
obtained,    from    both    the    p.   t.   deacons    Lagrannie    and 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF  DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903. 


COUBTESV   OF   WM.   I.   ELITCR*FT,   ESQ. 


SWEDISH    CHURCHES    ON    THE    DELAWARE. 
ST.   GEORGE'S   PENN'S   NECK,   N.  J.,   ORGANIZED  1714. 


Appeal  to  Amsterdam.  121 

Beekmann.  Upon  the  next  occasion,  however,  these  offi- 
cers took  possession  of  the  pulpit  {priestcr  Stuhl)  and 
barred  the  way  to  the  chancel. 

They  even  threatened  to  commit  murder  and  force  our 
houses  and  church,  if  this  were  not  opened  unto  them. 
Their  aim  however  was  merely  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
strong  box  of  the  Church.  Consequently  the  statement, 
as  made  in  their  missive,  that  Johann  Van  Dieren  was 
called  unanimously  and  by  general  consent,  is  fictitious. 

The  rest  of  the  congregation  as  a  dernier  ressort  have 
resolved,  in  case  the  Right  Reverend  Consistory  at  Am- 
sterdam would  not  favor  them,  to  extend  a  call  to  the 
brother  of  the  sainted  Falckner,  although  his  own  brother 
would  not  counsel  them  to  do  this  before  they  took  up  with 
Van  Dieren. 

And  now  about  the  ungodly  missive,  they  knew  noth- 
ing at  all  of  it,  until  they  were  informed  by  a  good 
friend,  who  knew  about  the  correspondence  of  the  Consis- 
tory, that  Schiitz  lied  to  them  when  stating  that  the  mis- 
sive had  not  been  sent,  and  that  he  regretted  that  the 
letter  had  fallen  into  such  loyal  hands.  Otherwise  the 
missive  would  have  been  his,  even  if  it  had  cost  him  fifty 
pounds. 

The  whole  congregation  accordingly  consists  of  from  ten 
to  twelve  households,  which  upon  the  male  or  female  side 
are  of  the  reformed  faith.  Of  the  remaining  number  who 
reside  in  the  town,  many  for  several  years  have  failed 
to  adhere  to  our  church,  as  they  either  objected  to  the 
preacher  or  had  some  other  absurd  reason.  Others  again 
were  angered  at  the  bad  condition  of  our  church,  and  be- 
came of  a  different  mind.  And  of  all  these,  thus  far  but 
a  single  household  hath  returned. 

Now  as  I  arrived  here,  both  friends  and  enemies  —  if  I 


122  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

may  so  call  them  —  became  disheartened ;  the  former,  as 
they  were  greatly  weakened,  by  the  defection  of  the  Van 
Buskerkes,  who  were  the  wealthiest  among  the  congrega- 
tion ;  the  latter,  because  they  realized  that  their  scheme 
had  virtually  turned  out  Archilochian.  In  the  meantime 
it  was  resolved  to  say  nothing  about  that  missive,  if  the 
opposite  party  made  no  demand  for  it.  In  fact  no  one 
here  demanded  either  to  see  or  read  the  letter. 

The  Church  Council  thereupon  convened  a  meeting, 
together  with  all  the  above-named  members  of  our  con- 
gregation, whereat  I  had  no  sooner  presented  my  letters 
than  Andreas  Van  Buskerken  arose  and  extended  his  hand 
to  me.  In  this  he  was  followed  by  all  present,  Joh. 
Michael  Schiitze  being  the  last  one. 

The  answering  of  the  letters  from  the  Right  Rev.  Con- 
sistory was  consigned  to  me,  and  it  was  afterwards  resolved 
to  send  the  answers  in  their  present  form. 

If  your  Right  Reverend  and  Most  Noble  Society  will 
permit,  I  will  now  describe  the  several  conditions  of  my 
Congregation.  As  before  stated  in  numbers  our  Congre- 
gation is  but  few,  and  several  among  them  live  over  two 
German  miles  from  the  town.  The  Church  hath  no  income 
except  that  of  the  purse  with  the  bell  (^Klingcl  Bentel). 
The  monies  sent  from  St.  Thomas  over  fifteen  years  ago 
were,  as  I  learn,  put  out  at  interest,  which  goes  toward  the 
pastor's  salary,  and  if  this  is  not  sufficient,  the  deficiency 
is  collected  and  supplied  ostiantim  [collected  from  door 
to  door] .  Further  there  are  no  accidentia,  such  as  mar- 
riages or  funeral  sermons,  as  these  hardly  occur  once  in 
many  years. 

The  church,  which  we  fear  will  be  demolished  by  the 
first  heavy  storm,  is  more  like  unto  a  cattle  shed  than  a 
house  of  God  :  only  two  windows  are   in  the  building,  one 


A  Dilapidated  Church.  123 

behind  the  pulpit  and  the  other  directly  opposite.  As  the 
church  is  not  paved,  but  merely  floored  with  loose  boards — 
some  long,  others  short  —  one  cannot  pass  through  it  with- 
out stumbling. 

The  preparations  for  divine  worship  are  so  bad,  that  I 
doubt  whether  greater  confusion  exists  in  any  heathen 
temple. 

The  people  are  not  capable  of  singing  a  hymn  properly, 
and  upon  several  occasions  they  have  stuck  in  the  middle  of 
a  hymn,  and  I  have  had  to  go  thus  to  the  altar  or  ascend 
the  pulpit,  although  I  permit  the  precentor  to  sing  whatever 
he  likes,  and  what  they  have  been  accustomed  to  sing. 
And  now  if  the  seventy-three-year-old  one  dies,  they  will 
have  no  one  in  the  congregation  who  is  capable  of  acting  as 
reader. 

The  £i7.ios  promised  me  in  the  contract,  I  have  just  re- 
ceived, as  I  am  preparing  to  start  for  Albany.  For  the  time 
that  I  have  served  here  they  give  me  nothing.  The  same 
sum  was  promised  me  on  the  part  of  the  Albanians,  but  to 
facilitate  their  communion  they  have  also  gotten  rid  of  their 
promise,  although  they  said  they  would  give  it  to  me,  as  I 
offered  to  repay  the  41  Holland  florins  and  57  English  shill- 
ings advanced  to  me  by  Joh.  Sybrand.  This,  however, 
they  would  not  permit,  as  I  had  used  the  money  to  purchase 
a  cloak  and  necessary  household  furniture.  Accordingly 
I  did  not  want  to  take  this  sum  from  them,  nor  press  for 
any  salarj'  for  the  short  time,  though  I  think  that  I  shall 
receive  my  bodily  food  and  sustenance  from  them,  and  with 
this  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  content  myself.  God  grant 
that  his  blessing  may  rest  upon  my  efforts  to  build  up  this 
congregation,  and  may  it  be  a  joy  unto  me,  even  if  not 
fully  in  time,  yet  in  eternity. 

I  further  pray  that  your  Right  Worshipful  Consistory 


124  Dominic  Justus  Falckner. 

will  aid  and  assist  me  with  good  advice  and  material  help, 
as  they  perceive  that  it  is  for  God's  glory  and  the  mainte- 
nance of  Evangelical  truth  in  these  lands. 

I  have  found  here  a  folio  Bible,  also  a  church  liturgy, 
which  I  take  with  me  to  Albany,  for  I  surmise  that,  as  there 
is  no  public  church  there,  neither  shall  I  find  any  of  these 
books  there.  I  trust  that  I  shall  not  commit  any  wrong  if 
I  take  my  books  along,  or  rather  the  local  church  books, 
and  distribute  them,  just  as  I  have  done  with  those  given 
me  by  the  Rt.  Worshipful  Consistory  of  Amsterdam,  to- 
gether with  those  bought  at  Hamburg  with  the  collection 
money. 

Otherwise  there  is  a  universal  complaint  about  the 
scarcity  of  hymn-books,  catechisms  and  Bibles.  Nearly 
all  the  last-named  that  we  have  here  are  those  sent  by  the 
Rt.  Worshipful  Consistory  of  Amsterdam  and  contain  the 
name  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  Wesling.  They  know  little  of 
catechisms  ;  Bibles  are  found  with  the  older  families  ;  but 
the  new  families  have  to  borrow  one  from  another. 

About  Job.  J.  Van  Dieren  I  cannot  report  much  that  is 
creditable.  That  he  not  only  wrought  as  a  tailor  in  Eng- 
land, but  also  here  in  New  York,  and  that  the  spirit  of 
fanaticism  had  already  manifested  itself  in  him  in  England, 
is  attested  by  Mr.  Schlej'dorn  who  knew  him  there.  Here 
he  was  no  less  under  this  influence,  and  not  only  acted  as 
being  in  the  church,  but  at  divers  times  cried  out  aloud  in 
his  workshop  in  the  basement,  and  claimed  to  be  holding  a 
conversation  with  God.  He  made  the  woman,  in  whose 
house  he  lived,  believe  that  he  wanted  to  marry  her  daugh- 
ter, but  that  God  would  not  give  his  consent. 

The  name  of  Jesus  the  crucified  served  him  for  many 
purposes.  In  his  complimentary  greeting  to  me  he  made 
use  of  the  name  no  less  than  ten  times,  as  also  the  word 
"  Christ." 


Ignorance  of  Van  Dieren.  125 

Thereby  every  man,  like  unto  David,  will  recognize  how 
good  and  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in 
unitj'. 

Thus  do  I  find  in  a  letter  written  by  him  March  7,  1721, 
to  one  in  Schohari  whom  he  thanks  for  his  kind  greeting, 
but  complains  that  he  was  so  cold  during  the  past  winter. 
In  this  letter  he  makes  use  of  the  name  of  Jesus  seven 
times,  twice  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  once  where  he  calls  him 
our  heavenly  prince. 

As  to  the  cold  he  experienced,  this  he  says  was  a  suffer- 
ing for  the  sake  of  Jesus'  name.  He,  however,  consoles 
himself  with  the  example  set  by  Jesus,  the  warm  love  of 
Jesus  and  the  great  glory  of  heaven.  The  beginning  is 
thus:  "  yl5  it  is  only  expressed  in  Holy  Writ:  'Jesus  to 
greet  you,  the  H0I3' Spirit  as  a  kiss.'"  He  closes  with 
these  words : 

"  I  greet  you  with  the  kiss  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  and 
greet  me  therewith,  that  we  may  all  be  brethren  and  sisters 
in  Christ  Jesus,  who  do  not  live  according  to  the  flesh,  but 
according  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  greeting  from  me, 
with  the  kiss  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  love  of  God  be  with 
them  all.     Amen." 

That  at  this  time  he  was  still  tailoring  is  shown  by  a  foot- 
note, wherein  he  writes  :  "  This  winter  I  have  still  earned 
pretty  well." 

The  sainted  Falckner  characterizes  him  thus  (/«  Litteris 
ad  enndcm  exaratis):  "  In  him  we  find  great  craftiness  in 
place  of  Christian  prudence ;  great  obstinacy  in  place  of 
humble  joyfulness.  To  prove  this  I  will  not  give  myself  any 
trouble." 

So  much  I  learn  from  the  correspondence  of  that  sainted 
man,  that  this  praedicani  applied  to  him  is  true  :  that  he  is 
an  arch-ignoramus,  who  neither  knows  how  to  write  Ger- 


126  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

man  —  nor  to  spell  correctly,  even  though  he  defends  him- 
self with  the  statement  that  the  apostles  of  the  Lord  were 
fishermen  and  uneducated  persons.  As  he  was  asked  if 
he  understood  Latin,  he  took  the  proffered  book  and  said : 

"  God  be  thanked,  this  I  understand,  the  beautiful  Latin." 

When  he  attempted  a  syncretical  signature,  taking  that 
of  Dominie  Falckner  as  an  example,  he  wrote  thus  : 

"  Johann  Bernhard  van  Dieren  faster  Ecclie  Jesu  Christi 
et  Luthcray 

The  above  letter  is  from  his  correspondence  with  the 
congregation  in  Schohari  which  had  waited  so  long  for  a 
pastor  from  England,  who,  although  ordained  in  London 
by  the  Rev.  Consistorial  Privy  Counsellor  Mentzer,  im- 
mediately afterwards,  ab  criminc  dicto  soldo,  had  to  run 
away,  and  later  committed  suicide  by  hanging  in  Holstein. 

Thereby  he  appears  to  have  paved  his  way  to  the  min- 
istry. Thus  I  find  two  letters  from  Schohari  in  the  year 
1721,  dated  May  21  and  26  —  Herein  they  report  to 
Dom.  Falckner  that  they  are  informed  that  a  High  Ger- 
man pastor  for  them  has  arrived  in  New  York.  Further 
that  he  has  already  delivered  a  sermon  there,  which 
pleased  them  well.  From  the  above  it  is  surmised  that  he 
[Van  Dieren]  was  the  conscrificnt,  and  notwithstanding 
that  three  signatures  appear  to  each  letter,  they  do  not  ap- 
pear to  conform  or  to  be  by  the  same  hands.  They  further 
state  that  when  he  was  asked  who  had  sent  him  to  them, 
the  reply  was  that  it  was  Dom.  Boehme  in  England.  They 
also  had  heard  that  he  was  a  tailor,  but  they  did  not  mind 
this,  provided  Dominie  Falckner  would  examine  and  ordain 
him.  The  most  remarkable  thing  about  this  matter  is  that 
Dominie  Falckner  should  have  taken  any  personal  interest 
in  furthering  this  matter. 

I  also  find  two  Latin  letters  dated  July  3,  172 1 — one  from 


opposition  of  Sivedish  Pastors.  127 

Jonas  Lidman  Praepositus  Wicacoa,  in  Philadelphia; 
the  other  from  Andr.  Hesselius  pastor  at  Christiana,  also 
in  Pennsylvania,  by  which  it  is  shown  that  the  said  Falck- 
ner  interested  himself  for  Van  Dieren,  so  that  he  might 
be  ordained  by  the  three  Swedish  pastors. 

The  latter  sent  a  prolix  and  solid  letter  in  contraritim, 
from  which  I  enclose  an  extract  which  treats  particularly 
of  Van  Dieren's  application.^^ 

Upon  the  failure  of  this  scheme,  he  went  to  a  Palatine 
preacher  in  Pennsylvania'*'  (if  this  be  true)  from  whom  it  is 
claimed  that  he  obtained  an  attestation  Ordinationis ;  but 
no  one  has  thus  far  been  able  to  get  a  sight  of  it.^^ 

Further,  after  his  return  he  continued  to  importune 
Dominie  Falckner  to  ordain  him.  In  the  meantime  he 
settled  in  Schohari,  while  boasting  of  his  ordination.  In 
presence  of  Dominie  Falckner,  when  asked  why  he  had 
concealed  this  from  him,  he  replied  : 

"The  Devil  had  blinded  him,  and  he  had  shed  bloody 
tears,  regretting  that  he  had  lied  to  him." 

As  soon  as  he  had  established  himself  there,  he  began  to 
break  the  bread  in  the  Holy  Communion,  and  in  his  sermon 
even  ordered  such  as  objected  to  this  to  leave  the  church. 

Accordingly,  some  fifty-two  members  of  the  congrega- 
gation  wrote  to  Dominie  Falckner,  and  as  the  latter  called 
him  to  account,  he  answered  with  a  deal  of  absurd  talk, 
in  which  he  said  : 

"  I  adhere  to  the  words  of  Christ,  and  all  those  who  do 
otherwise  than  Christ  commanded  shall  starfd  in  judgment 
either  here  or  hereafter." 


*^  Vide,  pp.  111-112,  sufra. 

*' For  a  full  and  authentic  account  of  Rev.  Gerhard  Henkell  and  Van 
Dieren's  actions  in  Pennsylvania,  see  Rev.  T.  E.  Schmauk's  "  History  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  163S-18S0." 

^^Vide,  p.  134. 


128  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Dominie  Hesselius  was  not  alone  in  giving  this  person 
a  bad  -pronosticon.  Another  one  of  his  friends,  after  de- 
fending him  for  his  bread-breaking  and  speaking  of  him 
with  great  praise,  let  this  sentence  slip  into  a  letter  dated 
Feby.  20,  172^  : 

"  If  his  heart  is  as  his  mouth  speaketh,  so  it  stands  well 
with  him.  If  it  is  falsehood  then  I  hope  that  it  will  not  last 
long,  and  he  must  come  to  shame  and  ruin." 

Alas  !  the  congregation  at  Schohari  is  now  totally  scat- 
tered and  he  had  to  leave  there  some  years  ago ;  the 
church  as  well  as  the  parsonage  there  has  become  a  spoil 
for  the  Reformed  of  that  locality. 

The  few  who  still  remain  keep  to  the  Reformed.  In  the 
year  1723  the  Lutherans  on  the  Hudson  River  had  in  mind 
to  call  this  J.  B.  Van  Dieren.  The  plan  was,  however, 
abandoned  after  a  consultation  with  Dominie  Falckner. 
Now  as  he  found  that  he  could  meet  with  no  success  here 
in  New  York,  he  went  to  the  Reformed  at  Tappan  and 
offered  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ  unto  them,  as  Christ 
had  commanded.  Whereupon  they  took  him  to  Dominie 
Anthonides  on  Long  Island,  to  discover  whether  he  was  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  or  Reformed  faith.  As  thus  far 
I  have  not  received  any  account  of  this  act  from  the  mouth 
of  Dominie  Anthonides,  I  will  not  repeat  the  current 
rumors,  though  I  learn  them  from  trustworthv  men." 

In  the  meantime,  as  he  was  not  able  in  a  single  instance 
ad  interim  to  intrude  himself  here,  he  moved  to  Hacken- 
sack,  as  he  travels  around  wherever  there  may  happen  to 

"It  is  strange  that  in  all  of  this  controversy  about  an  ordination  for 
Van  Dieren  no  mention  is  made  upon  the  Reformed  side  officers  of  Peter 
Tesschenmaeker,  a  voung  licensed  bachelor  of  divinity — ordained  in  New- 
York,  1679 — Thirty  years  later  Anthonides  and  Du  Bois  refused  to  be  a 
party  to  a  similar  ordination.  Vide  "A  Manual  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  America,"  by  Rev.  E.  T.  Corwin,  D.D.,  New  York,  1902,  p.  52. 


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A^pfeul  to    Consistory.  129 

be  a  church  without  a  pastor,  whether  Evangelical,  Luth- 
eran or  Reformed. 

I  may  mention  that  his  father-in-law  looked  at  me  trust- 
ingly and  asked,  as  I  delivered  my  first  sermon,  that  I 
would  permit  him  to  fill  my  pulpit  and  preach  in  the  after- 
noons and  when  I  happened  to  be  in  Albany. 

It  is  reported  that  since  my  arrival  he  still  preaches  in 
one  of  the  Van  Buskerkes'  houses.  Although  the  Van  Bus- 
kerkes  themselves  come  to  hear  my  preaching,  they  ex- 
cuse themselves  by  saying  that  he  was  invited  there  prior 
to  my  coming.  But  neither  he  [Van  Buskerke]  nor  his 
household  came  to  me  to  join  in  our  communion,  when  the 
whole  congregation  partook  of  the  Communion  eight  days 
ago. 

Accordingly  I  beseech  your  Right  Worshipful  and  Most 
Honorable  Reverences,  with  all  proper  respect,  that  you 
will  kindly  consider  and  take  to  heart  the  pitiful  condition 
of  my  congregation  ;  and  even  if  I  am  to  suffer  poverty,  for 
which  I  shall  have  the  sympathy  of  all  friends  both  exalted 
and  lowly,  I  trust  they  will  come  to  my  aid,  so  that  the 
Ev.  Lutheran  Church  here  shall  not  succumb,  which  with- 
out assistance  is  unavoidable,  unless  God  should  perform  a 
miracle. 

Further,  I  beg  of  you  for  advice  as  to  how  I  shall  con- 
duct myself  toward  Van  Dieren,  particularly  if  he  attempts 
as  a  wolf  to  break  in  among  my  sheep. 

Lastly,  I  think  to  repeat  my  own  and  the  church  coun- 
cil's objection  against  Johann  Sybrand's  demands  and  pre- 
tentions. I  trust  that  your  Right  Worshipful  Consistory 
will  give  its  decision  accordingly.  This  man  shows  a 
thoroughly  wicked  heart.  He  professes  to  be  a  consistent 
Lutheran.  Now  it  has  come  to  light  that  he  has  no  religion, 
as  during  his  whole  lifetime  he  has  never  once  partaken  of 


130  Dommie  Justus  Falckncr. 

our  communion,  and  now  he  even  proclaims  publickl}'  that 
God's  Word  is  preached  by  others  just  as  well. 

Notwithstanding  his  enormous  bill  for  provisions  in  Am- 
sterdam and  England,  as  true  as  God  lives  I  have  had  to 
suffer  and  have  almost  died,  as  this  Captain  Serley  will 
himself  testify.  During  the  voyage  there  was  no  surplus  of 
anything  except  brandy  and  whiskey,  wherewith  during 
the  whole  voyage  he  treated  the  ship's  crew,  as  he  now 
sets  forth  upon  my  account. 

The  bills,  of  which  I  send  you  the  originals,  will  plainly 
show  you  his  character,  and  even  these  were  only  gotten 
from  him  after  much  trouble.  At  first  he  refused  to  let  any 
one  see  either  of  the  invoices  or  present  his  bill  until  a  reso- 
lution was  passed  that  he  should  again  be  sent  out,  and 
what  he  was  to  receive  for  his  trouble. 

Thereupon  he  demanded  £4  monthly  as  pay,  and  seven 
Holland  florins  weekl}^  as  spending  money.  Eventually 
he  presented  this  bill  after  he  had  changed  the  values  to 
the  Holland  standard,  although  in  our  findings  he  ac- 
counted for  the  collection  funds  in  German  monej^. 

The  counter  charges  were  made  up  from  my  journal 
according  to  the  time  and  of  what  we  approved,  and  I  truly 
believe  that  even  here  he  was  too  greatly  favored.  Al- 
though I  depend  entirely  upon  your  Right  Worshipful 
Consistory  that  all  wrong  will  be  redressed,  we  shall  ac- 
count ourselves  very  beholden  to  your  reverences  if  you 
will  trouble  yourselves  with  this  matter. 

Lastly,  I  must  remind  your  Right  Worshipful  and  Most 
Reverend  sirs,  as  our  people  appear  so  tardy  about  com- 
mencing the  building,  whether  it  would  not  be  policy  for 
the  Right  Worshipful  Consistory  to  inform  us  if  we  have 
any  funds  on  deposit  in  Holland,  or  if  we  should  look 
elsewhere  for  aid.     We  will  then  send  a  plan  of  the  pro- 


Abrupt   Close  of  Missive. 


131 


posed  building,  and  will  promise  to  bring  it  to  completion 
according  thereto. 

I  trust  that  your  Right  Worshipful  and  Most  Reverend 
sirs  will  hereby  see  the  honesty  of  my  intentions,  which 
are  not  intended  for  my  own,  but  for  the  glorj^  of  the 
church,  and  that  I  be  not  mistaken  in  my  appeal  whereby 
the  richest  blessings  of  God.     ***** 

[Here  the  missive  comes  to  an  abrupt  close,  as  the  last 
page  is  missing.] 

The  following  pastoral  explains  itself.  It  was  sent  to  the 
Hackensack  congregation,  upon  Berkenmeyer's  complaint 
that  the)'  had  accepted  Van  Dieren  as  a  pastor.  This 
letter  is  of  great  importance,  as  it  affords  a  positive  proof  of 
Dominie  Rudman's  appointment  as  Vice  Bishop  for  Penn- 
sylvania, under  the  signature  of  all  the  resident  Swedish 
clergy  on  the  Delaware. 


ESCUTCHEON    OF    HOLLAND. 


»il 

1^^ 

o.^ 

^'^vlt'^^^a^ 

m^M 

1   :!  ^^ 

ISi 

I"  .^"i 

CHAPTER   XII. 


The  Swedish  Pastoral  to  Hackensack,  N.  J. 

Honoured  Vestry-Men  oj  the 
Congregatio7i  atUakinsack, 
dearly  beloved  Frie^ids.^ 
We  the  Swedes  Ministers  in 
this  Colony,'*'  have  got  your 
Letter,     in     the    which     you 
are    pleased,   dearly  beloved 
Friends,    to    propose    to    us 
your  Complaints  against  yb/^w 
Bernhard  Van  Dieren,  whom 
ye    have    taken    to    be    your 
Teacher,  asking  for  our  Coun- 
sel in  this  Matter. 

For  the  ist  ye  are  pleased 
to  inform  us.   That  he  omits 
all  the  Christian  Ceremonies  of  our  Evangelical  Church, 

5°  Pages  70  to  91  of  the  Berkenmeyer  pamphlet  reprint  Verbatim  et 
literatim.  This  copy  was  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  William  C. 
Lane,  Esq.,  Librarian  of  Harvard  College  Library. 

5'Wicaco  (Gloria  Dei,  Philadelphia),  Christiana  (Trinity,  Wilmington, 
Delaware),  Pennsneck  (St.  George's,  Salem  County,  N.  J.),  Racoon 
(Swedesboro). 

{  13^) 


^m 

w^ 

**^M 

^m 

ARMS   OF   SWEDEN. 

Statement  of  Swedish  Pastors.  133 

introducing  new  ones,  as  breaking  the  Bread  at  the  Ad- 
ministration of  the  Holy  Sacrament,  confessing  that  never 
himself  has  taken  it  otherways,  neither  will  alter  his  Mind, 
about  this  Matter,  for  the  Time  to  Come.  And  by  such 
his  doings,  several  Persons  are  departed  from  this  World 
without  taking  the  Sacrament,  for  this  oneley  Reason. 

For  the  2d.  That  John  Bernhard  Van  Dieren  has 
made  very  absurd  Church  Constitutions,  in  the  wich  he 
proposes  what  he  will  have  his  Hearers  do,  forgeting  his 
own  Duty  towards  the  Congregation ;  and  being  Blas- 
phemious  in  those  oppose  against  his  Absurdities.  Never- 
theless himself  transgresses  his  own  Laws. 

For  the  j^f.  He  has  saught  for  to  make  some  Differ- 
ences in  Mr.  Berckenmeyers  Congregation  at  Albany,  and 
he  for  all  is  a  Minister  of  Christ  lawfully  called,  ordained 
and  sent.  And  for  such  his  doings  he  is  of  the  Vestry  ex- 
cluded from  serving  your  Church  any  longer,  except  he 
will  come  before  us  Swedes  Ministers  and  answer  to  these 
Complaints.  But  he  replys.  That  we  are  his  Enemies,  and 
so  not  willing  to  come,  using  other  Means  to  get  into  the 
Church  by  Help  of  a  Widow,  and  Constituting  a  new 
Vestry,  which  upon  these  Occasions  may  sute  him. 

For  the  ^tJi.  We  understand,  that  he  gos  about  to  other 
Congregations,  not  uniting  but  destroying  them. 

For  the  sth.  Ye  have  sent  us  an  Extract  of  the  Lutheran 
Consistorium  at  Amsterdam,  and  their  Judgment  about  this 


The  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  Lower  Penn's  Neck,  Salem  Co.,  N. 
J.,  was  built  on  ground  given  by  Jean  Jaquett,  January  8,  1715.  The  build- 
ing of  the  church  was  immediately  commenced,  but  not  completed  until 
March  31,  1717.  It  was  of  logs  twenty-four  feet  square  and  weather- 
boarded.  This  was  replaced  in  1808  by  the  present  substantial  brick 
church,  as  the  original  one  had  fallen  into  decay.  The  church  was  trans- 
ferred into  the  Protestant  Episcopal  fold  by  Rev.  John  Wade  in  1789  when 
the  first  Vestry  was  chosen. 


134  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

John  Bernard  Van  Diercn,  how  unfit  a  Person  he  is  for 
serving  the  Church  of  God. 

These,  as  we  perceive,  are  the  Contents  of  your  Letter. 
And  verily  we  cannot  but  pity  your  Condition. 

For  the  ist.  Ye  did  do  very  111,  dearly  beloved  Friends, 
in  taking  up  with  such  a  pretended  Minister ;  because  if 
ordained,  it  is  not  done  lawfully.  He  was  with  us  about 
his  Ordination,  but  we  denied  it  him,  for  two  Reasons. 
First,  that  we  had  not  such  Authority,  that  we  could  ordain 
Ministers.  Mr.  Rudman  indeed  did  ordain  Mr.  Falckner, 
the  late  Minister  of  the  Lutheran  Congregation  at  New- 
York;  but  he  was  made  aSuffragane,  or  a  Vice-Bishop  by 
the  Arch-Bishop  of  Sivccdland. 

For  the  second.  That  we  thought  him  not  qualified  for 
that  Sacred  Function.  Seeing  now  that  he  could  not  get 
Ordination  by  us,  he  gos  up  to  Mr.  Hinckler,^'  living 
about  Manatanien,^^  and  by  him,  some  how  was  ordained 


is  likely  enough.  But  yet  when  Mr.  Lidiiian  once  was 
with  Mr.  Hinekler,  and  among  other  things  did  ask  him 
about  Van  Dieren  his  Ordination,  he  protested  then.  That 
Van  Dieren  was  never  ordained  by  him.  However  Mr. 
Lidman  has  no  Witness,  but  will  take  his  Oath  before  any 
Magistrate,  that  he  heard  Mr.  Hinekler  say  such  a  Thing. 
In  the  mean  Time  do  ye  think,  dearlj'  beloved  Friends, 
that  Mr.  Hinekler  (God  knows  what  he  hath  to  shew  for 
his  Ordination  of  Ministers)  could  ordain  him  alone,  and 
we  four  Swedes  Ministers,  sent  hither  by  Royal  and  Epis- 

''Rev.  Gerhard  Henkell,  vide  Schmaiik,  "Lutheran  Church   in  Penn- 
sylvania, 163S-1800,"  pp.  \ifyct  seq. 
^'Maxatawnj. 


Reasons  for  Refusal.  135 

copal  Power,  by  the  Consent  of  two  Kingdoms,  and 
farthermore  recommended  by  the  Venerable  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel  in  foreign  Parts,  could  not  ?  And 
if  he  will  say,  That  this  was  done  in  Case  of  Necessity,  we 
deny   that    too ;    because    we    have   Vessels    yearly    and 


BOOK  PLATE  OF  THE  SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

monthl}'  going  for  Eurofc,  whether  he  could  come,  get 
necessary  Learning,  be  lawfully  called,  examined,  ordained 
and  sent ;  and  not  get  his  Ordination  by  a  single  Minister, 
contrary  to  the  Scripture,  and   likewise  the   Canons   and 


136  Dominie  Justus  Falckner. 

Ecclesiastical  Constitutions  of  the  Church.  Mr.  Hesselius, 
our  late  Prjepositus  did  write  a  Letter  ^*  to  Mr.  Falckner 
aforenamed,  in  the  which  he  proposes  the  Reasons,  why 
this  Van  Diercn  could  not  be  ordained  by  us,  and  we  be- 
lieve, is  yet  in  being,  and  therefore  desire  it  ma}'  be  trans- 
lated into  your  Dutch  Tongue,  and  read  in  your  Congre- 
gations, that  ye  may  see  whatsoever  his  Proceedings  have 
been.  He  says  farther,  that  we  are  his  Enemies.  And 
we  truely  declare,  that  we  hate  not  his  Person,  but  his 
Deeds,  being  no  more  Enemies  to  him  than  the  Apostle 
St.  Peter  was  to  Simon,  when  he  gave  him  a  good  Coun- 
sel, perswading  him  to  better  Behaviours.  Being  a  Tay- 
lor, we  perswaded  him  to  keep  to  his  Trade,  and  leave  the 
sacred  Office  to  more  fit  Persons,  or  get  himself  through 
lawful  Means.  But  he  would  take  his  own  way.  And 
ye  now,  dearly  beloved  Friends,  see  the  Issue  of  it.  We 
also  disown  him  to  be  a  Minister  of  Christ,  and  likewise  to 
be  our  Brother  in  the  sacred  function  in  order  to  our  Evan- 
gelical Church. 

For  the  2d.  As  leaving  out  the  Ceremonies  and  Holy 
Prayers  used  so  long  Time,  and  with  so  great  Edification 
in  the  Church  of  God,  and  making  new  ones,  we  highly 
dislike.  Belonging  his  breaking  the  Bread  at  the  Holy 
Sacrament,  it  is  in  it  self  an  indifferent  thing,  if  the  Church 
had  so  constituted  it  we  might  as  well  break  the  Bread,  as 
use  Wafers ;  but  a  single  Minister  and  a  single  Congrega- 
tion ought  not  to  take  upon  themselves  to  alter  the  Cere- 
monies and  make  new  ones. 

For  the  3d.  That  he  is  so  busie  to  go  about  to  other 
People  and  make  Differences  in  Mr.  Berkenmeyers  Con- 
gregation, is  a  great  Sin.  But  he  that  is  unjust  in  one 
thing,  is  also  in  others.  We  hope  for  all  they  will  for  the 
future  beware  of  such  Ministers. 


^Vide  pp.  Ill,  112  supra. 


1703-MEMORIAL  OF   DOM.  JUSTUS  FALCKNER-1903 


i 


PHOTO.   FURNISHtO   BY    REV.  J     y.   SURK. 


SWEDISH    CHURCHES  ON  THE  DELAWARE. 
RACOON    CHURCH,    SWEDESBORO.    GLOUCESTER    COUNTY,    N.    J. 

ORGANIZED    less. 


Reasons  for  Refusal.  137 

For  the  ////.  Ye  have  done  very  well,  Dearly  beloved 
Friends  in  excluding  him  from  the  Service  of  your  Church, 
and  better  ye  will  do,  if  ye  hear  him  no  more,  since  he  is 
like  to  destroy  your  Congregation.  Neither  take  up  with 
such  Men,  till  they  can  shew  necessary  Testimonies  from 
some  Consistory  in  Enrobe,  of  their  Lawful  Ordination 
and  likewise  a  good  Conversation. 

For  the  §th.  We  are  of  the  same  Mind  with  the  Ven- 
erable Consistory  at  Amsterdam. 

And  so.  Dearly  beloved  Friends,  we  hope  ye  will  take 
our  Answer  in  good  Part,  and  send  a  copy  of  it,  or  the 
Original  to  Mr.  Bcrkenmeyers  Congregation  2.1  New-York 
and  Albany,  to  be  read  there.  Not  that  we  have  got  any 
Authority  more  than  other  Ministers.  But  we  have  a  Prec- 
edent in  Ecclesiastical  History.  That  if  any  Church  did 
forsake  the  Truth,  or  commit  Disorders  in  any  kind,  other 
Churches  did  sometime  take  upon  them  (as  the  Case  did 
move)  to  warn,  advise,  reprove  it,  and  so  declare  against 
its  Proceedings,  as  prejudicial  not  onely  to  the  Wellfare  of 
that  Church,  but  to  the  common  Interest  of  Truth  and 
Peace  ;  but  this  was  not  in  Way  of  Commanding  Author- 
ity, but  of  fraternal  sollicitude.  So  did  the  Roman  Church 
interpose  in  reclaiming  the  Church  of  Corinth  from  its 
Disorders  and  Seditions.  So  did  St.  Cyprian  and  St. 
Denys  of  Alexandria  meddle  in  the  Affairs  of  the  Roman 
Church,  exhorting  Novation  and  his  Adherents  to  return 
to  the  Peace  of  their  Church.  If  any  Dissention  or  Frac- 
tion did  arise,  other  Churches,  upon  Notice  thereof,  should 
yeld  their  Aid  to  quensh  and  suppress  it,  countenancing 
the  Peacable,  checking  and  disavowing  the  Fractious.  So 
did  St.  Cyprian  help  to  discountenance  the  Novation 
Schism.  Thus  we  all  Christians  should  assist  one  another 
in  the  common  Defence  of  Truth,  Piety  and  Peace,  when 


138 


Dominie  Justus  Falclcncr. 


they  are  assaulted  in  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and 
Enlargement  of  the  Church,  which  is  to  contend  together 
for  the  Faith  of  the  Gospel,  to  be  good  Soldiers  of  Christ, 
warring  the  good  Warfare,  striving  for  the  Faith  once 
delivered  to  the  Saints.  So  we  commit  You  and  the 
whole  Congregation  to  Gods  fatherly  Care,  remaining, 
Dearly  beloved  Friends 

Your  constant  true  Well-  Wishers  and  Brethren 
Philadelphia  the  31st  Day 


of   October,  1727. 


Jonas  Lidman, 

Pastour  &  Provost  at  Wicacoe 
Samuel  Hesselius, 

Minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Christiana 


Petrus  Tranberg, 
Minister  at  Racoon, 
Andreas  Windrufwa, 
Minister  at  Pennsneck, 


INDEX. 


Abelius,  Dom.,  55. 

Amsterdam,  report  to,  81. 

Anthonides,  Rev.,  128. 

Arentius  Bernhardus,  82. 

Avelius,  Dom.,  see  Abelius. 

Beekman,  Samuel,  77,  79. 

Beem,  A.,  120. 

Berkenmeyer,  Pamphlet  printed  by 

Zenger,  1728,  1 16-118. 
Biorck,   Rev.  Eric,  52,  70;  account 
of  Falckner's  Ministrations,  92,  93. 
Birger,  Johan,  113. 
Boehme,  Rev.  Anton,  11 1. 
Book,  Fridiricus,  120. 
Bos,  Job.  Jacob,  120. 
Boskerk  (Buskerke),  Andreas  Van, 
77,  120. 

Cornelius  Van,  98. 

Laur  Van,  77. 

Pieter,  A.,  98. 
Bradford,  William,  prints  book,  86. 
Brewer,  Catherine,  102. 

Elizabeth,  102. 

Lieut.  Richard,  102. 
Bruyns,  P.,  S4. 

Chambers,  Richard,  loi. 

Sarah,  loi. 

William,  loi. 
Christian,  Thomas,  106. 

Pieter,  106. 
Christina  Swedish  Church,  132-133. 
Churches  in  Philadelphia,  42. 
Clarkson,  Rev.  Joseph,  62. 
Clay,  Rev.  J.  C,  62. 

Rev.  Slayfor,  62. 


Clayton,  Rev.  Thomas,  25,  33. 
Collin,  Rev.  Nicholas,  62 ;  portrait, 
71- 

Falckner,  Anna  Catharina,  109. 

Benedictus,  log. 

Christian,  13. 

Rev.  Daniel,  Sr.,  13. 

Daniel,  birth,  13 ;  Pietist,  14 ; 
visits  Europe,  24 ;  autograph, 
25;  selected  for  mission,  27; 
citizen  and  pilgrim,  ib. ; 
curious  account,  28  ;  continu- 
ation 1704,  29;  returns  to 
America,  31;  colophon,  ib.\ 
on  the  Wissahickon,  31 ;  as 
bailiff  of  Germantown,  32 ; 
attorney  for  Furly,  34,  35 ; 
slandered  by  Pastorius,  36-37 ; 
attends  Swedish  Church,  43; 
call  to  New  York,  121. 

Justus,  genealogy,  13 ;  official 
record,  14;  matriculates,  15  ;  as 
a  hymnist,  18  ;  Auf  ihr  Chris- 
ten, 19;  celebrated  hymns  by, 
22  ;  at  Lubeck,  23  ;  appointed 
attorney,  30;  arrives  in 
America,  31 ;  on  the  Wissa- 
hickon, 32;  Burgess  at  Ger- 
mantown, 32;  becomes  her- 
mit, 33;  writes  to  Dom. 
Muhlen,  33;  return  to  the 
world,  34;  attorney  for  Fur- 
ly, 34-35  ;  missive  to  Europe, 
38;  hermit,  39;  attends  Gloria 
Dei,  43  ;  pleads  for  organ,  45  ; 
139 


140 


Index. 


answers  it  —  Rudman's  reply, 
55-56 ;    called   to  New  York, 
57;     Biorck's    letter,    58-59; 
ordination  of  Gloria  Dei,  60- 
71 ;  in  New  York,  72  ;  notifies 
Amsterdam    Consistory,    73 ; 
ordination  certificate,  74  ;  first 
entry,   76;    official   signature, 
77  ;   serves  country  churches, 
78;     appeal    for     funds,    78; 
signs    report,    84 ;    publishes 
text -book,  86;  title,  88;  hymn 
from,  89  ;  activity  of,  90;  seal, 
94;  church  records,  95;  bap- 
tizes  at   Hackensack,   98-99 ; 
record,  ib. ;  list  of  communi- 
cants,   103 ;    baptizes    Indian 
slave,  104;  Negro  slave,   106; 
marries     Gerritge      Hardick, 
108;    reports  to   Amsterdam, 
109  ;  trouble  with  Van  Dieren, 
in;  death  of,  113;  character 
and  attributes,   114;    opinion 
of  Van  Dieren,  125. 

Paul  Christian,  13. 

Sarah  Justa,  109. 

Francke,  Rev.  Aug.  Herman,  16,  24  ; 

receives  Daniel  Falckner,  27. 
Frankfort   Company  appoints    Kel- 

pius  and  Falckner,  30. 
Friedrich's  University,  14;  view,  15  ; 

interior,  17;  bi-centennial,  27. 
Furly,  Benjamin,  autograph,  30. 

Geissler,  Daniel,  32. 
Gloria  Dei,  mention  of,  42  ;  ordina- 
tion at,  60. 
Guinea,  Are  of,  102. 

Hackensack  extends  call,  120. 
Henkell,  Rev.  Gerhart,  134. 
Hentz,  Pieter,  113. 


Hesselius,  Dom.,  127. 

letter   from    Rudman,   52-54 ; 

Andrew,  letter  by,  111-12. 

Rev.  Samuel,  138. 
Heyns,  Godfried,  120. 
Hoesan,  Niclas  Van,  109. 
Holland,  Lieut.  Henry,  102. 
Huttrot,  Job.  Jacob,  120. 

Jauert,  Balthasar,  30. 

(Jawert)  Johann,  14,  30. 

recorder  of  Germantown,  22. 
Jawert,  vide  Jauert. 
Jonas  the  organist,  33. 
Julian  quoted,  21. 

Kallnis,  Mrs.  Margareta,  102. 
Keen,  Eric,  50. 

Matz  (Matthew),  50. 
Kelpius,   Johannes,    14,   25,   30,   33, 

63- 

Knoll,      Pastor,     notes      Falckner's 

death,  113. 
Kocherthal,  Rev.  Josua,  90,  93,  106. 

Louisa  Abigail,  106. 

Sibella  Charlotta,  106. 
Konig.  Joh.  David,  I20. 
Kbnneken,  Balthasar  Jasper,  31. 
Koster,  H.  B.,  14. 

La  Grangie  (Lagransie),  Johannes 

Hans,  77-84. 
Lidman,  Rev.  Jonas,  127,  138. 
Lloyd,  David,  35. 
Lock,  Rev.  Lars,  55. 
Loons,  Jan  Van,  106. 
Loscher,  quoted,  87. 
Lutheran  church,  location  of,  lOO-l. 

Albany,  102. 

Condition  of  in  New  York,  120- 
1. 

Muhlen,  Dom.  Heinrich,  23. 
Missive,  10,  38,  48. 


Index. 


141 


Miiller,  Dom.  Heinrich,  vide  Muh- 
len. 
Joh.  C,  120. 

Nicum,  Rev.  J.,  73. 
Norris,  Isaac,  35. 

Paper  money,  1709,  105. 
Pastorius,   Francis    Daniel,   charges 
fraud,  35;  arms,  36;  slanders  Falck- 

ner.  36-37- 

Penn,    William,   appoints    Falckner 
brothers  attorney,  34,  35. 

Pennsneck,  Swedish  Ch.,  132-3. 

Peper,  Michael,  I20. 

Philadelphian  Society,  25. 

Pietists  on  Wissahickon,  24,  25,  31. 

Racoon  Swedish  Ch.,  132-133. 

Rambo,  Peter,  50. 

Reformed  Church  in  New  York,  85. 

Rudman,  Anders,  52. 

Rev.  A.,  42  ;  offers  to  preach  in 
German,  44;  goes  to  New 
York,  49;  autograph,  50; 
entry  in  register,  51  ;  yellow 
fever,  52  ;  letter  to  Falckner, 
53  ;  as  vice-Bishop,  60-71,  79, 
82  ;  entry  in  church  book,  97, 
98. 

Sandel,  Rev.  Andrew,  49,  52,  70,  92. 

Rev.  Andreas,  11 1. 
Saturnine  Quaker  spirit,  45. 
Schleydorn,  124. 
Schiitz,  J.  H.,  120. 

Joh.  Michael,  84,  109,  120. 
Sects  in  Pennsylvania,  42,  43. 
Selig,  Johann,  33. 
Selskoorn,  see  Abelius. 


Serley,  Capt.,  129. 

Sharpe,  Rev.  John,  106-107. 

Spr6gel,John  Henry,  autograph,  14. 

Ludovic,  14. 
Streit,  Christian,  107. 

Maria  Magdalena,  107. 
St.  Thomas,  funds  from,  79. 
Storch,  Arnold,  14. 
Sturm,  David,  113. 

J.  Pieter,  113. 
Swedish    Churches     on     Delaware 

transferred  to  Episcopal  fold,  60- 

62 ;      Trinity,     Wilmington,     St. 

George's,      Pennsneck,     Racoon, 

Swedesboro,  132-133. 
Sybrand,  Joh.,  119,  123,  129. 

Tays,  Christine  Elizabeth,  107. 

Johann  Philip,  107. 
Thomas,  Rev.  Mr.,  50. 
Thomasius,  Christian,  14,  15. 
Tranberg,  Rev.  Petrus,  138. 

Van  Dieren,  J.  Bernhard,  lii;  con- 
troversy, 116-131;  Swedish  pas- 
toral against,  132-138. 

Veit,  77;  (Veilt),  Joh.,  84. 

Vesey,  Rev.  Wm.,  loS. 

Weems,  Elizabeth,  102. 
Wesling,  Rev.  J.,  124. 
Weyrauch's  Hiigel,  quoted,  20,  23. 
Windrufwa,  Rev.  Andreas,  13S. 
Wogloni,  Pieter  van,  77,  84. 
Woglam,  Peter,  104. 

Zetskoorn,  see  Abelius. 
Zimmerdiinger,Uldrig,  120. 


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